Determining Wants and Needs
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In starting the care planning process, it's important to ask questions to discover the wants and needs of the care recipient and support network people, such as family members and friends. In addition, professionals such as doctors, nurses, geriatric care managers, and social workers should be involved to help guide early decisions.
The following are the types of questions you may begin asking at this point:
For the Recipient:
- Where do you want to live? If you decide to stay in your own home, what needs to be done to make it safer and/or easier for you?
- What do you see is my role as your caregiver?
- What do you do well, for example, in fulfilling day-to-day activities, hobbies, or looking after your health?
- What financial issues do you foresee? If you ever need help with finances, who do you want to handle them?
- Who are your other support people, such as friends, neighbors, and relatives? What role would you like them to play?
- What do you see as some challenges in self-care and health? How would you like future challenges to be handled if they occur?
- What kind of support do you think you need from me and from others?
- If for some reason some of your wishes can't be carried out in future, whom do you want to make decisions about your living and care situation?
- Do you want to think about living wills/advance directives at this point, so that others know your wishes if that is ever important?
