My parent is making poor decisions.

This can be one of the most difficult situations an adult child can face with an elderly parent. The person who seemed so responsible throughout your lifetime no longer seems to be thinking clearly or acting prudently. Or is it that you just don’t agree with a life choice your parent is making? Perhaps they’re staying too long in a house that is obviously too big, which is not being kept clean, and refusing all offers of help? Understanding the difference between making a poor decision and being beyond the capacity to make important life decisions can be tricky. There are many fine gradations along this path from being fully capable to being unable to make one’s own decisions. Where is your parent? How will you know when the line is, in fact, crossed?

Care Managers Can…

  • Better understand the context of why is the person acting in this way and what might be fueling their decisions
  • Help to evaluate capacity and bring in external resources to be involved when needed
  • Help determine the level of severity and coach the family through what questions to ask and what to look out for
  • Educate families about the right to folly
  • Help families wisely “pick their battles”  and prioritize the issues
  • Assist families in determining when they may need to step in more assertively