Your dad’s care plan is arranged, so now what do you do? You’ve talked to your dad, your brothers, and your sisters. You’ve spoken to your dad’s partner or wife. You’re all on the same page in terms of the care he needs. That’s a great start.
Your responsibilities do not end there. It’s essential to stay in constant communication with everyone in your dad’s care team. Through regular discussions, it’s easier to make sure his care plan is meeting his needs. If it’s not, you can all work together on solutions. Here is how to communicate concerns, suggestions, and questions.
Know Who to Contact for Different Emergencies
Make sure everyone knows the best way to get ahold of others. If you’re the primary family caregiver, you’ll be the spokesperson. You need to know how to quickly reach your siblings and other important members of the family.
Keep the names and contact information for your dad’s medical team. This includes his primary care doctor, dentist, eye doctor, and any specialists he sees regularly.
You want to keep them informed of any health changes. If you don’t have HIPAA permissions or can speak up as his power of attorney for medical decisions, you need to talk about those permissions with him or learn who does.
Keep an Open Mind
You’ve grown up under your dad’s roof. You know his family health history, his likes and dislikes, etc. That doesn’t mean you know everything.
His significant other, even if it’s a more recent partner, may know things you don’t. Your dad may have high blood pressure and not have told you. If that’s the case, there may be dietary needs or medications he’s taking that you’re unaware of.
Your tastes change as you age. Your dad may no longer enjoy onions. If you cook meals with them and he dislikes them now, you can’t expect he’ll eat the meal. These are other changes you cannot ignore.
If you work as a team and discuss his likes, dislikes, health, and care needs, it lowers the chances of disagreements and confusion. That’s why it’s important to know everyone involved in his day-to-day care.
Get to Know His Caregivers
Make sure you talk to your dad’s elderly care aides regularly. You want to know how he’s doing. If adjustments to his care plan are needed, it’s best to make the changes as soon as possible. His caregivers spend a lot of time with him, so they’ll give excellent insight into his strengths and weaknesses.
When you schedule elderly care services, ask the coordinator if regular meetings are planned or if you need to arrange them. Also, find out where you should turn if you have questions or suggestions.