When families can all come together and agree on an elder care plan for your loved one, it definitely makes for a much smoother process and an easier transition for everyone.

Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case with bigger families, siblings that live far apart, or with families that have underlying tension for various reasons.

Here are 5 ways that you can try and bridge the gap to bring your family together with your senior’s important elder care plan and comfort as the number one goal.

1. Call a family meeting. Pick a neutral place, like a coffee shop or a restaurant where you can casually come together to talk about your parent or grandparent’s needs. If some family mem-bers aren’t able to meet or live far away, consider using technology to help such as Skype or Face Time. Set some boundaries ahead of time and try and encourage everyone to use calm voices. Be sure that everyone get a chance to talk and feels heard.

2. Try to look at the bigger picture. Your parent’s safety, comfort, and health is the most important thing when considering an elder care plan. Be sure your emotions aren’t driving all of your decisions and that the decisions being proposed are solely for the benefit of your loved one and what is best for them overall.

3. Compromise. If heads are butting and no one wants to budge on what they want, see if there’s a compromise every can agree on. If your sister thinks your Mom should be in a nursing facility but your brother wants 24 hour home elder care, what can you do to ease the worries of both parties so that you can come to a decision that will work for everyone, especially your parent?

4. Get a second opinion. Occasionally, if things can’t seem to be worked out alone, it may be time to call in a third party for a second opinion. Sometimes having a neutral person listen to all parties and offer their own take on the situation can be just what some people need to be able to agree on a solution. Is there a family friend you trust, or a community member familiar with elder care that you think would listen and offer a supportive voice? Ask if they mind helping you reach the solution that is best for your family.

5. Call a time out. If things get tough, call a time out and come back to it when emotions are settled. Dealing with a parent newly needing elder care can be overwhelming and sometimes it’s best to take a break when things get heavy. Siblings and family members often mean well and usually have their loved one’s best interest at heart, but when multiple people come together in times of upheaval, emotions can sometimes get the better of people.

Try and think about the welfare and health of your senior parent first and foremost. Put yourself in their shoes and encourage your siblings and family members to do the same. Elder care in the home can be a wonderful experience for everyone in the family, and with a little work upfront, you can experience that too!

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Tahoka, TX, please contact the caring staff at Best In-Home Care (806) 412-0723.