Home Care Issues
What is the first thing I should do if I think my parent is no longer capable of living alone?
What should I consider before taking on the role of home care giver for my parent?
Before somebody considers taking on the role of a home care giver, it is extremely important to look at yourself and understand what your time is like, what your other obligations are like, how much time you really have to spend, how you get along that parent, do you enjoy being with them, do they enjoy being with you, what other sibling support you can get, what other financial support to hire some other paid care givers to help you out, and is there a church available to bring over volunteers? Look at the big picture of what this involves. This is not a simple task that has a yes or no answer. A maybe or sometimes answer is a much more appropriate answer to that kind of a task.
What should I consider before having my parent move in with me?
Will I need to make home renovations to care for my parent?
In terms of home renovations or modification, it is not uncommon to have to make some minor renovations into the home before somebody can move. Generally, the most common would be things like grab bars in the bathrooms and perhaps a ramp for the wheelchair. More extensive renovations like getting the shower built so they can get a wheelchair in there, getting elevators to go up to a second floor bedroom, can be much more complicated and then that would depend on the individual case.
How can I plan financially for home care?
Planning financially for home care is complicated. Part of it depends on when you start, and quite honestly, how many resources realistically there are. For families that want to do their best for an older parent, and the parent wants to remain at home, they really have to look long and hard at what this is going to cost. If families can afford it, and it's not uncommon for many adult children to pay for the long-term care insurance for their older parents, because they know they're not going to be able to afford to take care of their parents in their home. However, they can afford to pay for the cost of the long-term care insurance.
How can I plan legally for long-term care?
Planning legally to take care of your parents in the best way possible, when they may not have the decision making or judgement to understand the need for care, or how at risk they are. It is so essential to be able to have health-care directives and powers of attorney or durable powers of attorney over finances so you can make those decision for your parents. Only 5% of adult children will actually pay with their own money, to take care of the home care for their older parents. What is much more common, is the adult children become power of attorney over their parent's money, and have the healthcare decision making powers to purchase the home care for their parents, using their parent's money.
What is a professional mediator?
With a professional mediator, often times they're trained. Many times they are professional marriage family therapists or attorneys that work with families around, generally, its financial issues. It can be conservatorship issues when there is lack of capacity, it can be estate issues after the death, or it can be issues where there is disagreement in the family on end of life issues, to work out a resolve that pleases people in the best way possible.
How can I find a professional mediator?
Many times you can get mediator's through an attorney. They know their colleague's and the elderly care mediators are relatively new in the last couple of years. There is an association merging, and these people are trained to specifically deal with the need of the older adult.
What happens when I can no longer provide the care my parent needs at home?
When you can no longer provide the care that they need and this can be for a couple of reasons. Truly most people go into nursing homes not because they're getting worse but because the care giver is burning out. Those are the times to look for options and again depending on family support, sometimes that moving into an assistant living or a nursing home with the family that has the energy to visit and be caring is a better option than being in the home.
What is the Sandwich Generation?
The "Sandwich Generation" are those people that are not only taking care of their older adult parents, but they also have dependent children that they're taking care of and responsible for as well. We now have those people of the "Sandwich Generation" that are also working full time and they may be taking care of their own health issues, fears of retirement, and other important life factors. So those are the "Club Sandwich Generation", that I don't know that there's a word for that, but there will be because we're seeing that more and more.
What are the biggest concerns for family caregivers?
The biggest concerns for family caregivers is burnout. I think they get stressed. In a huge study that was done last year, seven out of ten, had at least one symptom of clinical depression. So they want to do the right thing, but they don't take care of themselves and the consequences are enormous on them. As I had mentioned, one in two spousal caregivers will die before the person they're taking care of.
What are elder care benefits?
Elder care benefits are those services that are allowed for people depending on their age. Sometimes it can be 55. Sometimes it can be 62 and sometimes it can be 65. Some of those are means tested. It depends on your finances, your savings and your income. Others have to do just because of the nature of being a certain age.
What if I can't afford home care services?
For the most indigent, the state will help you pay for those services through the Medical and Medicaid programs. If not, we look at alternative living, whether it be in assisted living or a skilled nursing again for the most indigent.
Is home care a safe option for a parent who has Alzheimer's?
Home care can be a very safe option for parent that has Alzheimer's, if you understand what the disease is and that people that have Alzheimer's, especially when they get to the moderate or late stages, really need 24 hours supervision.
