When caregivers talk about the stress of caring for their parents, the next issue that they bring up is most often that they lack the support from their siblings.
When taking on such a huge emotional and physical task, you would naturally need as much help as you can get.
Uncertainty in the situation of caring for your parents causes conflict. Watching your parents decline also adds to the stress and emotions. These can take a toll on the relationship between siblings if it’s not properly managed.
Here’s a few tips and advice curated from Daily Caring.
Sibling conflict in caregiving. Asking for help. Understanding why they don’t help. Tips for the sibling.
How to ask for help from your siblings? Ask yourself what you really need. Stop the cycle of guilt when you ask. Don’t assume that they should know you need help.
Why don’t my siblings help? They may think you don’t really need help. They need to experience it themselves. They don’t know how to help. They are afraid of doing a bad job.
Tips for the sibling caregiver. Don’t aim for equal spread of roles. Do what makes sense. Be kind to each other. Divide and conqure. Prepare for tough realities such as end of life.
