Learn how to take care of aging parents. Often what you don’t know can increase stress, time and money for your family!
I teach and lecture on the subject of “Care for Aging Family Members, ” and every time I teach several people tell me – “If I only had this knowledge before I started down this path – we would all be better off”!
We just don’t know what we should in this arena when it comes to aging parents. We do a little research, ask friends and maybe even medical doctors, and still, we can look at strategies, entitlements, best resources on how to manage the stress of being a family caregiver and become bewildered without finding answers.
I was talking to a gentlemen yesterday about his wife with dementia, and he was going to move her to a less expensive facility that was relatively new. I told him I thought a facility with a nurse to spot problems before they became serious was important and he should check with the Ombudsman to see if the new facility had any citations. He hugged me and promised not to make any decisions without a session with someone like me!
I was working with a family that engaged a “free placement” company that led this family to a fee for service small assisted living (because they get referral fees). When I questioned the finances of the couple, they were entitled to free Medical/Medicaid for his care. They spent over $10,000 because they didn’t consult with an objective professional.
Last week I was having lunch with a group of professionals, and I was sitting next to someone who had not heard of “Professional Geriatric Care Managers.” I told her what we do in assessing aging parents and older adults, coming up with suggestions for a better quality of life, how we make referrals without accepting any fees and how one of the issues we work with is family conflict in the care of a parent. She became animated at that and said she had a brother that lived near their mother out of the area and they didn’t agree on what was the best for their mom. I told her an objective assessment and a family meeting should be the answer – it has been for many of our clients in the past.
Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish – consult with a care manager to be sure you are on the right path when dealing with aging parents. You might be surprised at the time, energy and stress saved with the outcome a better quality of life.