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Education Social Issues 5 Common Mistakes People With Aging Parents Make
Education Social Issues 5 Common Mistakes People With Aging Parents Make
| 5 Common Mistakes People With Aging Parents Make |
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| Written by Theanna Zika |
| Sunday, 11 April 2010 07:56 |
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1. Not having a discussions about alternative living arrangements for your parents. It is important to be proactive concerning this! It is so much easier and less confrontational to start this process early and often. If you start early having discussions about options and choices, you can be much more low key about it. If you wait and start talking about it after your Dad has fallen and broken his hip, there is no time to be low key-you are now "under the gun" to find answers quickly! 2. Being in the dark about your parents financial situation. Do they have a long term care policy? It should be kept where it can be easily accessed. You should also read through it to understand what it does and does not cover. If your parents do not have long term care in place, do you know what other financial resources are available if needed? Perhaps a visit with an attorney to talk about Medicaid eligibility and spend down rules would be worthwhile. And if one of your parents is a Veteran, see if they are eligible to get coverage for certain services. 3. Automatically thinking "nursing home" when one or both parents health starts to fail. These days there are a myriad of choices and options. If one is adamant about staying in his or her own home, there is a good chance they can have care there until they pass. There are also ways to be very creative about combining several modalities of care. For instance, a family might have their father go to adult day care several times a week during the day, then have a caregiver stay over nights and family members supplement the other times if needed. The possibilities are endless to customize a plan that is just right for your situation. 4. Not getting help until the last minute. When Mom is scheduled to come home from the hospital tomorrow, there are few things more stressful than having to start coming up with a plan of care. In situations like that when there is so much stress, it's nearly impossible to make a good, rational decision in such a short period of time. You'll want to do your research as early as possible. Identify some facilities or agencies and contact them. See which ones you get a good vibe from and build a relationship with them. Arrange for you and/or your parent(s) to visit or have someone come to the home for an assessment. By starting the process sooner rather than later, you can call on people who are familiar with your situation if an emergency occurs. 5. Only looking at cost when deciding between care options. This can go both ways. There are very expensive nursing home facilities that have very poor track records of care. Don't be swayed by fancy brochures, videos or tours. Try and talk to some of the actual residents and their loved ones. When it comes to in-home care, the lowest hourly rate may not be your best option. Keep in mind that good, quality caregivers require a higher salary. The good home care agencies simply can't offer the lowest rates yet provide the best senior caregivers. And be sure that you meet, and approve of, any caregiver BEFORE they start providing care for your loved one. About the Author: Theanna Zika founded St. Louis, MO senior home care company, Heavenly Helpers, in 2004. She shares tips, strategies and advice about caring for seniors that she has learned over the years on the blog at her company's website. The site also features a helpful list of St. Louis, MO senior resources for seniors and their loved ones in the St. Louis, MO Metro area. Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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