Planning for Seniors and Caregivers, both short and long-term, is overwhelming. Where do you start? What information and resources are needed? What are your options? What we’ve found is that a majority of our clients wait for a crisis to occur before they have the conversations needed or start the process of exploring what is available and at that point, they’re hitting the panic button.
It’s easy to feel like one question or decision quickly leads to another and a “spiral” occurs. We want to stop that cycle. Current needs and priorities very rarely are the same as potential long term ones, so it’s important to compartmentalize. This allows you to research, plan, and have necessary conversations with your loved ones, without the pressure of immediate action.
The 2-2-2 Planning Strategy stands for 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years. In other words: immediate needs, short-term goals, and long-term planning. It’s important to note that those aren’t the timelines to HAVE these discussions, but more of a way to visualize what stage you are planning for.
We’ve found that Caregivers who use this approach with their loved ones are less overwhelmed by ALL the decisions, and their loved ones feel less anxiety by taking things at their own pace. Use the prompts and ideas below to help lead the conversation and planning for all 3 stages.
2 Weeks: What are the immediate resources, information, and/or care that is needed for your loved one?
2 Months: What are the short-term goals for care or resources?
2 years: Down the road, what is Plan A, B and C for housing, care and resources?
If you are looking for recommendations and information on specific resources, information or care options, go to our website www.sunwaysseniorliving.com to schedule a discovery call with us. We’re a FREE concierge service to Seniors and their Caregivers and will help you compare in-home services as well as senior living communities and everything in between.