Aging and Caregiving
When it comes to talking to aging or chronically ill family members about healthcare, finances — even end-of-life care — and other sensitive topics, say UNH alumni experts, it’s best to just dive in.
Faculty member Jing Wang was joined by Rebecca Sky ’16G and Sean Stevenson ’95 for the webinar, “Navigating Caregiving Challenges.” The panel was moderated by Jennifer Rabalais ’91, co-director of the Center on Aging and Community Living, part of the College of Health and Human Services.
“Be brave and discuss both the best-case and the worst-case scenarios,” advised Sky, executive director, New Hampshire Commission on Aging. If your family member wants to age at home, think through the details of what that means: What transportation will be needed to and from appointments? How will they have food delivered and/or prepared if they can’t do it themselves? Also, think about yourself as a caregiver. “What would happen to the person you’re caring for if something were to happen to you?”
When you take on the caregiver role, says Wang, “Think about what changes to your daily routine will be necessary to accommodate your caregiving duties, who or what would you turn to for support, how comfortable will you be asking for that support.”
Notes Stevenson, owner of Pleasant Valley Nursing and Rehab Center in Derry: “The best situation is that it is collaborative … to have an open sharing of wishes and all necessary critical information.
“It’s your chance to talk about what is most important to your loved one — and to you.”
tips, resources and guidance by watching the webinar: bit.ly/3Wzd96N