Planning ahead – why talk about Home Care?

• Ideally, the conversation about home care will begin with your loved one before they need this type of help.
• Keep it simple and expect to have a series of discussions.
• Make it more about you and your worry, not about blaming or berating them of the things your loved one isn’t doing. 

 

How do I tell my loved one I think they need home care?

• It can be helpful to remind them that you only want what is best for them, and that you would worry less if they had someone helping them out at home some of the time
• Ask your loved one for their preferences in a caregiver, and what things they would like additional assistance with
• If you already provide them with some assistance, ask what tasks they would be comfortable with a caregiver taking over

 

How do I bring up home care with other family members?

• Involve other family members in the discussion about looking for homecare for your loved one
• During the discussion, explain why you think this step is necessary, and ask for their opinions
  • Allowing everyone to speak and have their opinions heard is an important part of making everyone feel included, and moving forward as a team to support your loved one in their care
• Encourage a team approach, sharing the tasks, and support each emotionally
• Decide on a team leader to keep the agenda/conversations on track
  •  Being the lead in this discussion can be difficult, but having someone take that role is important in making sure that meaningful progress is made
• Though this conversation and process may be difficult or tense at times, it is important to remember that everyone wants what is best for your loved one and is coming from a place of care and concern

 

How can family members be involved in the care process?

Once you’ve determined who will be involved in this care process, assigning tasks and responsibilities for each person can be useful in helping everyone feel involved in the process, as well as making sure one person isn’t overwhelmed by trying to organise everything.
Some tasks that can be divided up are:

• Making sure necessary bills are being paid
• Determine who will make health care decisions if your loved one becomes unable to?
  • More information about this process and advanced directives can be found here
• Household work and maintenance
• Yard work
• Personal care

What is a care agreement and why is it important?

• A care agreement is a written plan of care between the client and carer, to detail what tasks or duties the carer should provide, how much support is needed, and how often it should happen.
• The care agreement should include your loved ones’ preferences, and input from health care professionals if needed. It can also outline when and how the carer should communicate if problems arise.
• A sample care agreement is available to download which can be a useful starting point.
• There are lots of good resources available online that can help with planning care for your loved one. More information about long term care can be found here .

 

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