I am an Elder Law Attorney, Estate Planning Attorney with aging in mind, and a Caregiving Advocate. I am here to share those experiences and many resources I have accumulated over the years – with the hopes of better preparing you for caregiving of a parent or loved one, friend whoever that person may be. I want to build community here – a safe place where we can learn, ask questions, find comfort. That is desperately needed as the numbers of baby boomers aging and requiring assistance growing in the US and worldwide skyrockets. In fact, the number of seniors will double in 2050 to 98 million and growing every day.
So in this episode, we are going continue our conversation about foundational steps if you find yourself in a caregiver role. This is something that people usually don’t prepare for. We wouldn’t research it or be familiar with until we need to do it. Most times, people come into my office following a diagnosis, such as a parent has a diagnosis of some form of dementia, Parkinson’s some debilitating disease, and then we’re thinking about what is going to come next. We ask: How can the family protect Mom or Dad? What do they have in place or what don’t they have in place? What do they need? How can they pay for care? How can they protect assets that they’ve worked their whole life to accumulate? What happens to that retirement plan? What about the family home?
They come in scared – unknown – with lots of questions and no knowledge of where to start. Maybe that’s where you are today.
That’s why I’ve put together 10 foundational steps to get started if you find yourself in a caregiving role or perhaps diagnosis in your family and beginning to look at how to prepare for long-term care planning of a parent or another loved one. These are some of the things I recommend to my clients to start preparing.
- Create an inventory of all Medical Doctors including phone numbers and addresses and the reason for seeing them. You might also schedule upcoming appointments.
- Inventory all current medications and the pharmacy where those are filled. Include the phone number and address of all of those pharmacies including any by-mail medications.
- Record all insurance information including Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Coverage and Veteran’s Affairs Information, DD214, TriCare, etc. Long term care insurance
- Also research FMLA any Family Leave policies at you and your spouses employer
- Inventory any and all banking information – where are those banks and how are those assets held. – joint, individual assets, POD, etc. Can you access these assets if you need them.
- If you parents live alone – do you have a key – do you have an alarm code?
- Estate planning needs – Do they have any current estate planning in place? If not, get some basic estate planning done – do not “do it yourself” or obtain generic estate planning documents. Go to an attorney specializing in elder law or estate planning.
- Your parents will need the following: Powers of attorney for Health Care, Living Will, End of Life Directives, Financial Power of Attorneys, and Last Will and Testament – might also consider a Trust.
- Decisions need to be made about who will be in charge, Attorney in fact, and Executors. AND who not to be in charge – Excluded.
- Long-term planning needs – develop a care plan. Keep them at home for as long as you can and OUT of a nursing home – twofold: (1) asset management nursing home costs upwards of $100K/year – look at how assets are held to better prepare (2) expenditures can be made to make the home more livable for an aging adult and many of the improvements constitute “spend down” items if you’re looking at potential future qualification for help with nursing home assistance.
- Look at updates to the house to make it more accessible.
Do you have a question or an idea for an episode? You can email me at hello@nancycogar.com or write to us at:
Boomer Time c/o Nancy Cogar
2288 Gunbarrel Road Suite 154, Chattanooga, TN 37421
PMB 226
Or leave a message in my contact form below.
Helpful Associations and Organizations
Do you find yourself in the caregiving role, or anticipate that you will? Here is a list of non-profit groups and associations that offer support and free resources for the elderly and for caregivers taking care of aging parents:
- AARP – This well-known advocacy organization for seniors also provides resources for family caregivers. Articles and ideas are available to help caregivers.
- Adult Children of Aging Parents – This organization provides information, resources and support for adult children caregivers of aging parents.
- Aging Life Care Association – Formerly known as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. This site explains how aging life care professionals can help with common age-related challenges, and provides a directory to help you locate a professional. These professionals usually have to be paid out of pocket, but they can be a huge help for families providing care at a distance, or just if you need extra help problem-solving.
- Alzheimer’s Association – Find out how to identify Alzheimer’s and other dementia, and find support for caregivers, at this association’s website.
- Caring Connections – From the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, this site offers a wealth of resources for caregivers and families of seniors.
- Family Caregiver Alliance – This group provides services to family caregivers of adults with physical and cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke and other types of dementia.
- Family Care Navigator – A resource from Family Caregiver Alliance, this page helps connect you to essential family caregiver resources for your state.
- FCA CareNav – A service of Family Caregiver Alliance, this site will connect you with a personalized dashboard with tip sheets, videos, classes and other resources for family caregivers.
- Independent Transportation Network – This nonprofit transportation service provides rides for non-emergency purposes to older adults for a membership fee.
- Meals on Wheels Association of America – This program provides nutrition to seniors throughout the United States. A search on the site will help you locate one of more than 5,000 senior nutrition programs in the nation.
- National Alliance for Caregiving – This advocacy group supplies caregivers with tip sheets, podcasts, publications and websites on a variety of topics.
- National Council on Aging – This group is an advocacy organization helping older Americans and their caregivers. Among its services is the BenefitsCheckUp, which identifies programs and services seniors are eligible for.
- National Elder Law Foundation – This organization’s site includes a feature to help you find a certified elder law attorney near you.
Spend-Down Checklist
This is a list of home improvements and other “spend-down items” that may be used towards future eligibility for nursing home care assistance: (Note that these usually cannot be credited retroactively)
- Home Improvement
- Roof
- Clothing
- Windows
- Washer & Dryer
- Siding
- Refrigerator & Freezer
- Exterior Paint
- Stove
- Gutters
- Dishwasher
- Driveway
- Microwave
- Landscaping
- Sink
- Sprinkler System
- Stereo/Television/Satellite TV
- Patio/Deck/Walkway replacement/improvement for better access
- Heater
- Air Conditioning
- Hot Water Heater
- Telephone
- Interior Paint
- Computer
- Carpet/Flooring
- Furniture
- Kitchen
- Window Treatments
- Bathroom Upgrades
- Hearing Aids
- Waterproof Basement
- Eyeglasses
- Insulation
- Incontinence Supplies
- Sink
- Dentures
- Toilet/Bathtub Shower
- Ceiling Fans
- Wiring
