Now that you can hold The Blueprint to Age Your Way in your hands, how do you move things forward with family members? The best way is to lead by example. Start your own Blueprint and casually mention what you are doing.
How can you convince a person to do something you aren’t willing to do? Maybe you can sell that, but I’d have a hard time. You don’t need to complete your plan before assisting another to do theirs, but it’s imperative to at least start yours.
Once your own planning has begun, then you are ready to approach family. If you know for a fact they will resist, then give them a copy of the first book, Age Your Way. This is the story book that paints the picture of people who planned and those who didn’t. Every story is true, pulled from my forty years as a nurse.
Next, the strategy begins.
- Discuss specifics of what you are doing and why.
- Clarify that you are putting a documented plan in place to diminish future struggles of those you love; to save them from entering in to a crisis with no information.
- Make it clear that this is not only for the individual to plan but that it also has an incredibly positive impact on family members.
If you’re finding it difficult to influence family members, then you might need to consider another possibility. Many people hold tight to their information as a means of exerting power. This can happen whether resources are abundant or slim. It’s their own private data and they may be unwilling to disclose too many details to family members.
If this is the case, find out if they are willing to complete the Blueprint on their own and have it available to others when an emergency arises. This is a leap of faith but it’s better than nothing. Give them a copy of the Blueprint and check in periodically to see if progress is being made. Find out where the Blueprint is being kept, in case of emergencies.
Another option is to have a third party complete the plan with your family member. It can be a trusted friend or a professional third party. My case management company, Nurses Case Management, has worked with many individuals to complete their plans. This was an important option for those who were reticent to have family participate in the process.
Any professional who works with the elderly can assist. One such national organization is the Aging Life Care Association. Search their website by zip code and state at www.aginglifecare.org.
There is a sad final option. Admit defeat. There are some people who simply will not plan under any circumstances. That is a sad reality. You may wind up picking up the pieces and doing the best you can when the crisis hits. But doing crisis management in a methodical manner will help. Obtain a Blueprint to serve as your guide for this family member. Gather what you can and recognize the mess is not one of your doing.
The Blueprint to Age Your Way is available now on Amazon.
A repository of your unique legacy. The Blueprint to Age Your Way enables your advocate to step in and assist, equipped with an unambiguous plan built on your documented information and personal wishes. Its structured format provides worksheets to record vital information and document wishes whether you’re looking ahead to your own future planning or scrambling to assist an elderly relative in crisis.
