Tips on Coordinating a Team for Your Loved One’s Care

Providing full-time care for an aging parent or loved one is not easy to do without help. Especially if that loved one has a chronic health condition or suffers from a degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s, the responsibility of ensuring a loved one’s health and well-being can be too much to bear alone. For family caregivers, it helps both caregiver and loved one to take a team approach to their physical and emotional needs.

Your caregiving team could include:

• Family
• Local organizations
• Friends
• Support groups
• Your loved one’s doctor

• Meet together frequently – According to the AARP article, “Creating Your Caregiving Team,” holding frequent meetings with your family and friends is a good way to ensure communication and coordination. Use these meetings to share updates about your loved one’s health, gain support from your team and schedule tasks.
• Keep lists – The number of tasks you have to do each day to care for your loved one can be overwhelming. Writing down everything that needs done can make each chore more tangible, and therefore less daunting. Then, when someone asks you how they can help, you’ll have suggestions readily available for them to choose from.
• Communicate all the time – Keep everyone in the loop. It’s especially important to communicate changes in your loved one’s health or behavior to prepare them for different needs. Share information about doctor’s visits (as you see fit), changes in medications or altered plans to make sure your team is always on the same page.
• Utilize technology – The Internet is the fastest and easiest way to keep a group of people connected. You can send updates through group emails, create a Facebook page for your team to share information or take advantage of online tools made specifically for caregiving. The Alzheimer’s Association Care Team Calendar, for example, lets you create a personalized calendar for your loved one’s care.
• Remember your resources – If you need help in a pinch and your team members can’t be there, don’t forget about your community resources. Keep a list of organizations and phone numbers handy in case you need some outside help.

With the help of a dedicated team caring for your loved one, both of you can begin to experience better health, well-being, and support. You’ll find the weight of caregiving a little easier to bear when you have a team of loving individuals to help carry the load.

The Art of Living

At Tuscan Gardens® of Venetia Bay, we’ve mastered the art of living. We’ve perfected the balance of personalized support and an uplifting lifestyle, helping our residents experience independence, joy, and meaning every day.

Offering supportive independent living, assisted living and memory care services for families in Venice, Florida, Tuscan Gardens of Venetia Bay was founded with one simple, yet profound goal – to create a community worthy of our parents. In all we do, we are guided by the principles of family, culture, and engagement, working to represent the remarkable way of life our families deserve.

The essence of our community is made up not only of mere aesthetics but an artfully designed lifestyle to bring out the best of what each day has to offer. From dedicated care that respects residents’ individuality and dignity to a lifestyle that nurtures their love of life, Tuscan Gardens was built to be more than just a residence, but a place to call home.

To learn more about our comfortable, elegant community, contact us today!