SYNERGY HomeCare Magazine | Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020

TAKING THE LONELINESS OUT OF

SENIOR ISOLATION

WHY THE

FAMILY CAREGIVER

NEEDS A BREAK NOW

your safest bet

hospital aftercare in your own home

A message from

Our CEO Last April, SYNERGY HomeCare welcomed newly appointed CEO, Charlie Young.

Joining the company at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Young has led the company with unparalleled commitment and direction to ensure the safety of SYNERGY HomeCare staff, owners, caregivers and clients.

A message from CEO Charlie Young regarding SYNERGY HomeCare’s role during COVID-19: Since the beginning of the global pandemic and the subsequent lockdown conditions the country has been living under, SYNERGY HomeCare has been called upon to assist clients of all ages and care needs. We have continued to support existing clients while implementing safeguards to protect their health and safety; we have assisted individuals wishing to transition from facility-based care to home, and we have supported families needing a little extra child care support with the closing of schools and day care centers. At no time in our history does our mission ring any louder than now, to be the most trusted name in home care by helping clients to live the highest quality of life and independence attainable.

I am incredibly proud of the commitment and resiliency demonstrated by our SYNERGY HomeCare family of staff and caregivers. Without them we would not be able to provide the continued high level of care our clients have come to expect and deserve. In February we assembled a COVID-19 Task Force that has continually focused on addressing the evolving needs of our clients, caregivers and community. We have also been active with national organizations to pioneer new standards and protocol for the home care industry. Safety is and will continue to be our number one priority.

We realize that this pandemic has challenged us all in new and unimaginable ways, and we will continue to adapt to what the future holds in terms of the progression of this disease. SYNERGY HomeCare is proud to be playing a major part in our communities to care for individuals needing assistance during these exceptional times and will continue to do so with passion, strength and resilience.

We wish you and yours the very best of health.

Best Regards,

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Table of contents 4

Rethinking elder care: There’s no place like home

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Welcome back, Helen

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Prevent isolation from preying on your parents’ emotional health

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Relief for family caregivers hit with compassion fatigue during the pandemic

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Delivering compassion during an uncertain time

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The top 10 signs your parents need help at home

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6

8

10

12

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Published by SYNERGY HomeCare four times annually, serving the home care community.

For questions, call 877.432.2692 or visit synergyhomecare.com.

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SYNERGY HomeCare

Rethinking elder care:

There’s no place like home

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ith the uncertainty of living with COVID-19, the considerations for transitioning from hospital or rehab to home have changed considerably, particularly for seniors.

Similarly, with safety in mind, many seniors are voluntarily transitioning from assisted or skilled nursing facilities to home under the care of a single caregiver to minimize exposure to the coronavirus.

Before the pandemic, it was common practice to send discharged hospital patients to rehab centers where they could comfortably convalesce from an illness, surgery or injury. Today, patients—particularly seniors and their families—are minimizing the risk of COVID-19 exposure by opting to bypass rehab and go directly home under the supervision of a caregiver. A bonus is the senior now has one-on-one care in his or her own home instead of sharing a rehab caregiver with a handful of patients. And as Dorothy has been telling us for years, there is no place like home.

Our SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers are trained in CDC-approved safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

These measures include frequent handwashing, temperature checks, home sanitization of common areas and wearing personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves.

Many seniors are choosing home care over rehab centers. Nursing homes from coast to coast are also experiencing a steady exodus of residents—some who are asked to leave after testing positive for COVID-19 and some who exit voluntarily to avoid further exposure, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to climb faster in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities than any other location.

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The decision for seniors to recover at home, interacting with one safety-compliant caregiver per shift instead of being exposed to rehab or skilled nursing facility staff and their patients, is an easy one. The sheer number of people potentially exposed to the coronavirus is a strong argument to consider to make the change to home care.

Day care, as well as summer camps and programs, may be open, but are they safe? Senior centers and adult day cares harbor the same safety issues as nursing homes and care facilities: the gathering of those most vulnerable to COVID-19 are at a heightened risk of exposure. While the government has defined safety protocols, the virus remains active and that means increased risk where large numbers of people gather.

Seniors aren’t the only ones using home care to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19. As the country’s leaders continue to roll back shelter in place orders and ease business restrictions, much of the workforce is transitioning from their work-from-home routines and returning to their offices. For those with families, including children and aging parents living with them, returning to work means finding safe care for them.

Many parents face the heart-wrenching decision of going back to work to provide for their families or keeping their kids and aging parents safe by staying home with them. Most Americans do not have the means to choose the luxury of staying home without an income.

The decision of whether to go back to work or care for your family doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, it’s an easy one to make. Choose the same solution that thousands of families have used as they transitioned to home from the hospital, nursing home or skilled nursing facility.

“Seniors aren’t the only ones using home care to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.

Keep your loved ones safe at home with non-medical home care. SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers care for those living with chronic illness, physical and cognitive disabilities as well as aging parents. It’s a safe choice that minimizes the risk of contracting the coronavirus and offers peace of mind for working families. Your family will be well cared for by a compassionate caregiver whose number one priority is your loved one’s well-being.

As the country’s leaders continue to roll back shelter in place orders and ease business restrictions, much of the workforce is transitioning from their work-from-home routines and returning to their offices.

Dorothy was right—problem solved!

For those with families, including children and aging parents living with them, returning to work means finding safe care for them.”

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SYNERGY HomeCare

Welcome back, Leaving a skilled nursing facility for in-home care saved Helen’s life When Lisa and Mark Piegza moved to the Lowcountry from New Jersey to begin a new venture, they envisioned Mark’s parents would also make the move someday, as his mom, now 84, has shown a slow cognitive decline over the last ten years.

Four years ago, Mark’s mom, Helen, fell and fractured her hip.

The surgery and recovery from the fall significantly exacerbated the decline in her memory. Life was becoming more challenging for Mark’s mom and dad, who were too far away for him to provide hands-on help or care.

No one in the family was ready for what took place last spring.

Helen fell again and fractured her other hip. Complications led to three surgeries within five weeks, causing her dementia to accelerate faster than the family could have imagined.

Above: Helen and her son, Mark.

Below: Helen and her caregiver, Vanessa.

In August, at Lisa’s insistence, Mark’s parents moved from New Jersey to Hilton Head. Helen moved into a memory care facility and his dad, Ed, moved into a nearby independent living community.

This was the first time Ed and Helen had been apart in 57 years of marriage. Ed was able to visit her often, but her physical and cognitive decline weighed heavily on everyone.

After a couple of months, Helen had to move into a skilled nursing facility because she never fully recovered from the infection that stemmed from the hip surgeries the previous year. She was on multiple medications, mostly anti-anxiety and antidepressants. She seemed as though she were drugged. Her wounds simply wouldn’t heal and her health continued to decline.

Mark and Lisa witnessed her health slipping significantly.

She wasn’t the person she used to be. Mark’s dad was scared.

Helen had bouts of crying, she wasn’t talking, and when she tried, it was nonsensical. She hardly ate. The family was beyond concerned.

“She was alone, in a strange place, confused and her decline accelerated.”

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Helen At the time COVID-19 hit, Helen was admitted to the hospital. In fact, she was in the hospital three times over a six week period. This crushed the entire family, as COVID-19 prevented them from visiting her. She was alone, in a strange place, confused, and her decline accelerated. Ed was beside himself with worry. He thought he’d never see her again.

SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers visit for 16 to18 hours each day to help with morning and evening routines, prepare meals and keep their apartment tidy.

Mark says his mom talks all the time now. She is even remembering things that she always liked to do, like pick tomatoes. She’s healthier than she’s been in a very long time. In fact, after she got back on her feet, she told Mark she wanted to have a party. When Mark asked her who she wanted to attend, she said, “Vanessa.”

Mark smiled, as Vanessa has been one of her favorite caregivers from SYNERGY HomeCare.

By the end of April, the doctors told Mark that his mom was dying. The devastating news hit the family like a lightning bolt.

The bright spot in this journey is that Mark and Lisa own SYNERGY HomeCare of the Lowcountry. Given their experience in caring for aging seniors in their homes, they didn’t hesitate to move Helen into their home to begin hospice care.

“With one nurse caring for 10 patients, he felt the facility didn’t have the time to devote the necessary attention to her.”

At this point, Helen didn’t recognize anyone. She was lethargic from the drugs she had been prescribed. The SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers were with Helen for multiple hours per day.

As the family gathered for the party, Mark and Lisa’s daughter, Alexandra, surprised Ed and Helen with a special homemade cake. Vanessa was thrilled to be invited. Everyone had a grand time. Helen had her party and the family got their loved one back. A wonderful reason to celebrate!

Upon the initial examination, the hospice nurse thought Helen wouldn’t last a week.

When the hospice nurse examined Helen’s medications, he discovered that Helen was on a myriad of drugs, from anti-anxiety and antidepressants to high blood pressure meds. It wasn’t known why she had been prescribed many of these drugs; Helen had low blood pressure her entire life. The anti-anxiety drugs may have been responsible for her lethargy. The nurse recommended to take her off all medications except the antibiotic. Low and behold, Helen slowly began to respond after being off the drugs for a few days. Within a week, she began eating and talking again. It was a miraculous recovery.

The family was elated and Ed had his bride back.

Mark’s assessment of the care his mom received in the skilled nursing facility is directly related to staffing.

With one nurse caring for 10 patients, he felt the facility didn’t have the time to devote the necessary attention to her. He’ll always wonder if the facility had made a medication assessment as the hospice nurse was able to do, would his mother have suffered as much? Or did the anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs they gave her help quell his mom from needing as much attention?

He remains thankful that he and Lisa took control of his mom’s care and that the family is whole again.

Fast forward to today, and Helen is doing great. She is enjoying living with Ed in his condominium, reunited at last with her beloved husband. Yes, each of them has health issues to contend with, but it’s nothing they can’t handle, especially with appropriate help. Our

Welcome back, Helen.

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SYNERGY HomeCare

Adult children:

Prevent isolation from preying on your parents’ emotional health A story of hope for adult children and their parents

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efore the COVID-19 pandemic hit our lives like a runaway train, you probably worried about your aging parents living alone, wondering, “Are they healthy? Taking care of themselves? Eating enough? Taking their medication on schedule?” What about the guilt of not visiting them as often as you probably should?

Prevent your parents from succumbing to loneliness You may live a block away, an hour away or 2,000 miles from your parents. Even if you live near them, COVID-19 restrictions prevent visiting face-to-face today or in the near future. You’re concerned about their well-being, but what can you do?

Consider in-home care

Today, with sheltering in place, your parents may be lonelier than you realize. If you felt you didn’t visit them enough in the past, the situation is likely worse now because you can’t visit them for fear of COVID-19 exposure. Don’t be hard on yourself —you can take steps to heighten your parents’ sense of purpose and provide them with something to look forward to every day.

In-home care is a robust and dependable solution to reduce or eliminate loneliness for your parents, providing peace of mind for you. In addition to caring for your parents’ daily needs such as dressing, preparing meals, running errands and light housekeeping, in-home caregivers do much more. Our SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers engage older adults in meaningful activities like arts and crafts, reading, listening to music, setting up video calls with friends and writing letters.

Prevent the loneliness of isolation from damaging the already fragile health that comes naturally with age. Consider in-home care from a professional home care agency that practices CDC-recommended safety measures to help prevent exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.

In addition to the activities mentioned above, there are scores of things seniors can do with their caregivers to feel more connected to others. With in-home care, each 8

day seniors have something to look forward to doing with their caregiver, and that provides hope while reducing loneliness.

As social creatures who thrive on social connections, the prolonged disconnection from friends and family has been difficult. Professional caregivers understand the relationship between socialization and good health. They focus on activities that deliver interaction with the people your parents care about—video coffee chats with friends, FaceTime with the grandchildren, coordinating window visits and sending little gifts to the family that has special significance.

“As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world, adult children of aging parents worry about their parents’ safety as well as the repercussions of isolation. With 16.9 percent of the U.S. population ages 65 and older, it is a concern many face.”

Connect through a project Additionally, you can give your parents a project to do while they’re physically isolated. Ask them to be the family historian by journaling about the struggles your family, the country and the world are enduring as we navigate the pandemic. Or request they put a photo album together using the old box of prints in the garage. Call them daily to check on their progress, discuss and be a part of a shared project. The idea is to give them a purpose that makes them feel connected to family and special for being the one chosen to manage the project.

In-home care provides peace of mind As an adult child, the peace of mind you experience from your parents’ home care stems from the daily communication provided by the caregiver. Knowing how your parents are doing, how their emotional and physical health is will be what you look forward to each day. It’s this level of contentment and the variety of services offered in their home that make a profound impact on the quality of their lives.

“Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of a variety of physical and mental health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and even death.

The coronavirus has left many seniors unusually isolated, separated from friends and family they once depended upon for socialization, rides to the grocery store or trips to the doctor. These are the seniors who are at the highest risk of loneliness, depression and susceptibility to disease and illness.”

Home care is in demand today, particularly by adult children like yourself. Doing whatever it takes to ensure your parents are in a good place emotionally, distanced from potential COVID-19 exposure and well cared for within their own home by compassionate, friendly caregivers is your goal. SYNERGY HomeCare’s caregivers are committed to getting your parents through isolation with smiles on their faces, good health and warmth in their hearts.

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SYNERGY HomeCare

Relief for family caregivers

hit with compassion fatigue during the pandemic

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How can you prevent compassion fatigue?

amily caregivers have been struggling with caregiver burnout for longer than most can remember. “Compassion fatigue” was penned decades ago to describe the physiological effects experienced by professional caregivers. Today, the term has resurfaced in the health care field as the buzzword to describe the toll it has taken on caregivers as they battle the ups and downs of COVID-19.

We must remember that caregiving during COVID-19 is a marathon, not a sprint. Pacing ourselves and using self-care tools are the best ways to care for ourselves as we weather the pandemic. If we don’t take care of ourselves when we need it, how can we care for others when they need it?

Check-in with yourself: What do you need right now?

Compassion fatigue is often referred to as caregiver burnout, but the conditions are not the same.

Compassion fatigue is more treatable than burnout, but it can be less predictable. While compassion fatigue may come on suddenly or without much warning, caregiver burnout typically develops over time.

The key is to check in with yourself often (yes, talk to yourself!), and be honest. Don’t “should” yourself. By removing the thoughts of what you “should,” do or “should” feel, you open yourself up to flexibility that can provide some relief. When checking in with yourself, ask, “What do I need right now? What can I give myself?

How am I feeling? What’s bothering me? What can I do about it?”

Some describe compassion fatigue as empathy fatigue, a biological and physiological response where you are so exhausted—physically, emotionally, psychologically—that it becomes difficult to care or feel for others. Basically, you feel “done.”

Sometimes your “giving reserve” may be short on funds and you need to dial back on how much you give to others. When asking yourself these questions, respond to yourself as though you are caring for another person.

Listen to your answers. Try not to put so many “shoulds” on your plate that it stresses you out even more. It’s okay to lighten your plate. It’s all about balance and getting yourself to a place where you feel good about taking time for yourself.

And the fatigue doesn’t stop when you’ve finished caregiving for the day. You plop on the couch, turn on the TV and there it is—news of the pandemic crisis on every station. It’s in the headlines; it’s on the radio. It feels like there’s no escaping it.

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Ask yourself

recognize the warning signs

. Insomnia . Less interest in caregiving duties . Feeling more stress . Being traumatized by caregiving activities and functions . Irritability . Substance use/abuse . Blaming others for your suffering . Isolating yourself . Loss of pleasure in life

. Physical and mental fatigue

It’s time to pause and ask yourself: “What good will I be to the person I care for if I get sick?” As a caregiver, you must take good care of yourself—even while you are taking care of your aging loved one.

. Bottling up your emotions . Feelings of hopelessness or powerlessness

You deserve it It is possible to take some much-needed time for yourself while meeting the needs of your senior parent through SYNERGY HomeCare’s respite care services.

. Frequent complaining . Overeating

What if you had one day each week all to yourself? How about two days? Imagine all the errands, activities and appointments you’ve put on the back burner while caring for your aging loved one, and with COVID-19, maybe your children, too. That’s a lot of pressure, the kind that often leads to caregiver burnout or compassion fatigue.

. Poor self-care . Denial . Anger . Resentment toward the person you’re caring for

As mentioned above, taking care of yourself is critical as the family caregiver. It’s okay to give yourself a break.

You deserve it.

. Difficulty concentrating

You can have a professional caregiver provide respite care for you one or two days a week so that you can keep your “giving reserve” full. SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers are trained in CDC-recommended COVID-19 safety protocols as well as dealing with every type of care scenario imaginable. It’s a peace of mind like you’ve never before experienced.

While these symptoms sound scary, they’re actually helpful as they are telling you that your “giving reserves are low,” and sending a warning that it’s time to rebalance your life.

Respite care for family caregivers While caring for your aging parent has been said to be a labor of love, it’s still a weight on you. As you spend more and more of your time caring for your aging parent, you may find yourself giving up favorite hobbies and vacations, saying no to friends, feeling distracted at work and getting more stressed with your spouse and children. Over time, juggling caregiving with work, raising children and managing a household increases your risk for depression, chronic illness and a decline in your overall quality of life. And the stress of caring for a loved one while managing your family and household can lead to significant health issues, both physically and mentally. Add COVID-19 to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

Compassion fatigue does not have to bring down the house. It’s not a disease; it’s a collection of symptoms that are manageable if you take action.

“If you’re one of the thousands of family caregivers who are homeschooling your kids, working remotely and caring for an aging parent in your home, you’re at risk for compassion fatigue. You may not wear a cape every day, but you are performing a feat that most people simply can’t do.”

You may not get enough sleep, eat poorly, skip regular exercise, keep going even when you’re not feeling well, or even postpone your own medical appointments. If you’re a caregiver who neglects your own health, you’re more likely to suffer from a chronic condition such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure and obesity.

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SYNERGY HomeCare

Delivering compassion during an uncertain time

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hen Jim Welch, owner of SYNERGY HomeCare of Temecula, Calif., saw COVID-19 wind its way into the local area, he noticed a reduction in the need for home care, as people were afraid to have others enter their homes for fear for of being exposed to the virus. Jim quickly found himself with staff who needed and wanted to help others.

While Jim and his staff were thrilled to be helping so many seniors in a time of uncertainty, there turned out to be other opportunities to help as well. Several residents who had requested assistance with shopping also had an interest in discussing their other care needs and the services that SYNERGY HomeCare provides its clients.

After fielding many calls from seniors about how to fulfill basic living requirements like getting groceries and prescriptions, Jim decided he and his staff would offer to deliver groceries and prescriptions at no cost for some of the local 55+ retirement communities and senior centers.

Jim’s office manager, Gail Hopkins, took the lead in working with the community and quickly established a rapport with an older couple who was receiving the free grocery deliveries. Gail learned that the wife had advanced dementia and her husband was struggling to care for the two of them. Their personal hygiene, nutrition, medication adherence and condition of their home were all suffering.

Jim’s free delivery offer was well received, resulting in SYNERGY HomeCare becoming the only home care agency listed as a COVID-19 resource for seniors on the city of Temecula’s website. Additionally, the activities director of a local 55+ community emailed all 1,500 homes in her community informing them of SYNERGY HomeCare’s generous offer to help. She also asked SYNERGY HomeCare for assistance in delivering county-provided meals to homebound residents of the community.

Gail contacted the couple’s adult children, a son who lived 90 minutes away and a daughter who lived across the country and was unable to visit as often as she would like. That call was an unexpected gift for both of them. They had been worrying about their parents and went to see them as often as they could, but it wasn’t enough to meet their parents’ needs. They were delighted that Gail cared enough to contact them.

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Gail, Jim and everyone involved have seen a tremendous turnaround in his life. With the help of a dedicated team of caregivers, his personal hygiene has improved, his clothes are clean, his meals are prepared for him and his home is tidy. His caregivers provide medication reminders so that he takes his medications on time every day, which has contributed to an overall improvement in his cognitive function, physical health and attitude. He now has the quality of life that his children had hoped for.

“After fielding many calls from seniors about how to fulfill basic living requirements like getting groceries and prescriptions, Jim decided he and his staff would offer to deliver groceries and prescriptions at no cost for some of the local 55+ retirement communities and senior centers.”

None of this would have happened if it was not for Jim’s compassionate gesture. The children might still be struggling with how to deal with their aging parents.

And the husband might still be struggling at home, trying to care for his wife, who by the way, is doing better, too.

It didn’t happen overnight, but after much communication, Gail was able to help the son and daughter move their mother into a memory care facility, which was a blessing for everyone involved. Then it was time to turn their attention to helping their father. As a truly devoted husband, he had given all his time and effort to caring for his wife and paid little attention to himself.

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SYNERGY HomeCare

The Top 10 signs your parents need help at home And how to talk to them about it

Getting ready for “the talk”

According to the Pew Research Center, about 52 percent of those with parents ages 65 to 74, and 64 percent with parents 75 and older lend a hand because their parents need help. But what are the signs parents need more assistance than you can provide?

You might think you’ve already tackled the trickiest conversation ever with a family member—the one about the birds and bees with your preteens. But there’s another talk that no one feels prepared to have.

With your parents well into retirement years, the awkward conversation today is about whether, when and how you, your siblings and a home care agency should take on some or all of their care.

Do your parents exhibit any of these signs?

If not handled delicately, the conversation can turn into an emotional tug of war. You could wind up on one side, battling to protect your parents’ health and safety. Your parents could brace themselves on the opposite end of the rope, fighting to preserve their independence.

Clearly, the emotional stakes are high, as are the chances for misunderstandings and bruised feelings.

It’s no wonder many put off this conversation for as long as possible.

1. The yard and house lack upkeep.

2. The inside of the house becomes uncharacteristically cluttered, disorganized or dirty.

3. There’s a stack of unpaid bills.

4. They appear disheveled; for example, their clothes are unclean or their hygiene has declined.

If you’ve noted your parents’ difficulties with the routines of daily life, rest assured that the conversation will go more smoothly if it happens before a crisis forces everyone to make decisions on the fly.

5. There is hardly any food in the house.

6. There has been a change in their general mood, or they’ve lost interest in hobbies and activities.

How do I break the ice?

It’s usually best to make the conversation at least a two-stage process, with the first stage a break-theice dialogue just to get the lines of communication going between you and your parents. To improve communication and better understand your parents’ point of view, keep in mind:

7. They forget to take their medications or get prescriptions filled.

8. They have unexplained bruising, which could indicate they’ve been falling.

9. They have become more forgetful, perhaps missing essential appointments.

• One of the most threatening things to a senior who has been proud to live on his or her own is the possibility of leaving home and losing independence.

10. They have noticeably gained or lost weight.

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I’ve broken the ice. What happens next?

• What seniors typically don’t know is that there are non-medical home care services to assist them with activities of daily living (for example, light housekeeping, transportation, bathing and grooming) that will enable them to remain living in their home safely and independently.

After you’ve broken the ice, you can arrange for a separate nuts-and-bolts conversation—a family meeting with your older loved one included—to discuss specifics. To avoid resentment, include all the people who care about your parents in discussions about their care.

• A parent may be in denial and refuse to admit they need help. This will create additional challenges.

• If possible, hold the meeting at your parents’ or loved one’s home or someplace where they feel comfortable.

“If you want to decrease your financial investment in caregiving, increase the comfort level between you and your parent, and allow your parent to age as gracefully as possible, start talking.”

• Try to schedule the meeting at a time when most family members can attend in person. Include those who live far away by arranging a conference call.

• If your parent or loved one has resisted talking about caregiving issues, consider asking a third party to help, such as a clergy member or social worker.

• Draw up a list of questions or topics in advance, including the location of your parent or loved one’s critical legal, financial and medical documents.

Gerontologist Alexis Abramson Lead with love. Remind your parents how they lovingly cared for their own parents. Saying “I love and respect you, so let’s discuss the best options that will allow you to safely stay at home. I know you will continue to thrive by living in the home you love,” is a great place to begin.

Why not start today?

As you join with your loved ones and family to plan for medical, financial and daily living needs that lie ahead, you’ve taken an important step. One day your loved one’s needs will change, and you won’t be forced to guess his or her wishes regarding medical care or financial matters. Even better, you’ve drawn your family together so you can support each other through life’s changes.

Share resources. Print out articles or reference what a friend is dealing with as a caregiver. Start in a gentle way.

Focus on your parents’ quality of life. Let them know you’re there to protect their independence.

Make talks a family affair Once you’ve located the necessary papers, it’s time to discuss how to divvy up the caregiving responsibilities.

Avoid preconceived notions. “Don’t go in with preconceived notions of what your parents might say,” write Hugh Delehanty and Elinor Ginzler in Caring for Your Parent: The Complete AARP Guide.

“You need to talk to your family members about what kind of role they want to play,” Abramson says. “And treat caregiving like it’s a business. There should be someone who’s the CEO, who delegates responsibilities, but in a way that will motivate. For example, just because your brother is an accountant doesn’t mean he wants to handle your parents’ finances.”

Conversation starters “Can I get your opinion on a couple of things, Mom?” “I heard of a service that can send a person to cook lunch for seniors. What do you think of this idea?”

Don’t do it alone If you and your family can’t meet all of your loved one’s needs to remain independent and maintain a high quality of life, it’s good to know SYNERGY HomeCare offers a variety of services that can fill the gap.

“Dad, I’m really worried about you falling on the stairs; you’ve tripped a couple of times. How can I help keep you safe?”

“Mom, can we spend five minutes jotting down ideas about getting someone else to do some work in the house?

I made us some tea.”

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Care for Everyone Let SYNERGY HomeCare help.

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At SYNERGY HomeCare, our caregivers are incredible individuals with an unmatched ability to care for everyone. Call or visit our website to learn more.

877.432.2692 synergyhomecare.com