The life of a caregiver is rarely nice and orderly. To be sure, some decisions are relatively easy: what clothes to lay out in the morning and what to prepare for dinner each evening. But, not all decisions are that simple; there are sometimes tough decisions to make concerning your loved one’s care.
The ultimate goal of any care plan is maintaining your loved one’s quality of life. Having this goal flavors your decision-making. For example, if a doctor tells you that your parent with late-stage dementia needs surgery to insert a pacemaker, is that something you want to move forward with considering their condition?
End-of-life care decisions are perhaps the toughest to make. For example, if your loved one is recently diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, would their comfort and quality of life be better if you didn’t pursue the treatment?
Here are five tips to help you make some of the tough care decisions you’re facing, or will face, that will have a lasting impact on both you and your loved one.
5 Tips to Deal With Tough Care Decisions
- Consider your loved one’s feelings. Listen to what they’re saying and consider the information you’re receiving. You know your loved one’s values and preferences, and they need to be taken into account when you’re faced with making a tough decision, like moving them into memory care.
- Be patient. Sometimes you have to make a snap decision, but most of the time, you have the opportunity to process the information you’ve been presented and consider the pros and cons of the issue. Planning ahead on potentially major matters can prevent you from being in a tough situation requiring a rush decision.
- Accept that it’s a tough decision. If you find yourself saying, “Why me?” or wanting to bury your head in the sand, recognize it’s okay to feel that way. But, ultimately, you have to stand and face the situation, make your best evaluation, and take a specific course of action. You don’t have to like it, but that’s okay.
- Be kind. Even if your loved one can’t understand what’s going on or won’t remember what’s happened, they can still feel and process emotions. If you find yourself feeling anxious or frustrated, take a breather and tend to the matter when you’re in a better frame of mind.
- Ask for help. There’s no shame in asking for assistance when you have to make a tough decision. You’ll often get a fresh perspective from someone else that will make your decision easier for you. Sometimes, just talking through your challenge can help you feel better about a decision you’ve already made.
Remember, you probably won’t be right all of the time, but you’re doing the best you can.
Dependable Senior Care Can Help
Our staff at Dependable Senior Care is here to help. We’re happy to offer you a free in-home consultation to discuss your situation and see if our services can benefit you and your loved one. We provide compassionate care from dependable, trained caregivers. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.