Siblings can be the best of friends or the keenest of enemies. In the hot seat of caring for our aging parents, be ready for sibling dynamics.
When caring for your aging parent, you may have very involved siblings that provide loving care to your parents and needed support to you. On the other hand, sibling relationships may run hot and be yet another stress factor. Here are some factors to watch for when sibling relationships creep into caring for our aging parents.
Time.com published a story on sibling relationships relative to elder care.
“We hear a lot about the costs of taking care of our graying population. But the big story roiling beneath the surface is the psychological crisis among middle-aged siblings who are fuming or fighting over issues involving their aging parents.
As siblings who are often separated geographically and emotionally, we are having to come together to decide such thorny issues as where Mom and Dad should live and where they should be buried. “It’s like being put down with your siblings in the center of a nuclear reactor and being told, ‘Figure it out,’ ” says University of Colorado geropsychologist Sara Honn Qualls.Friction often stems from parents giving their children different information about how they’re doing. Mom may put on a good show for the out-of-towner, who then discounts what the local sibling says.
Research shows that emotional support for caregivers is critical to their well-being and to family harmony. Too often, anger on one side leads to guilt and defensiveness on the other, resulting in sibling gridlock.”
Read the full article here.
Being aware when sibling relationships creep into caring for our aging parents may help prevent the gridlock the article mentions. Siblings can be a critical part of the care you provide your aging parents. The nature of your relationship with your siblings will, positively or negatively, impact the care you give your aging parents.
CARING FOR MY PARENTS | Life, Love, Tears & Laughs
