My 85-year-old mother is incredibly healthy and gets out everyday to volunteer in her Burlington, Vermont community. Last August, she fell and broke her leg. She's been through a number of procedures since then (one thing led to another it seemed). She's home but still recuperating with the assistance of Home Share and Burlington Health and Rehab (both highly recommended).
There are four kids in my family and we have each played a role in supporting my mother through this period. However, we've done it "by the seat of our pants." Having experienced my mother's travails first-hand, I'd like to make a recommendation: Sit down with your parent or spouse while they are still healthy and discuss what type of support they'd like to have when health issues come up.
A family meeting with the individuals who would be involved in care and decision-making is a great pro-active way to put a plan into place so you have a road map when unexpected things happen. The agenda for this meeting could include identifying the person's needs, what resources are available to meet those needs (family members, friends, agencies, advisors), and what may exist in terms of available resources. The individual and family members can do research about how to best meet any gaps that do exist.
Have you had similar experiences in your own life? What worked well or not so well in your situation?
No comments:
Post a Comment