How to Take the Hassle Out of Organizing Elder Care

Where will your aging parent live if (or when) they can no longer look after themselves? Answering that question is like cleaning out the attic – something we all know we’ll have to tackle someday, but definitely don’t want to think about on this day.

Unfortunately, time marches on whether we want it to or not. Your mother or father will keep getting older and the signs of diminished capacity – forgetting things, being unable to drive, leaving the stove on, etc. – may eventually force you to act. And, like everything else in your life, it’s going to be much easier for you to cope if you have taken the proper steps ahead of time.

With that in mind, here are two simple ways you can take the hassle out of organizing elder care…

Start Early

The single most important thing you can do to help yourself and your aging loved one is to simply avoid procrastination. As much as you might not want to think about future possibilities, take this chance to bring up the topic with your family and make some notes.

One advantage of starting now is that you can get meaningful input from your mother, father, or other relative while they can (hopefully) still speak for themselves. It’s an unfortunate fact that many adult children put off these issues until they are unavoidable… and when the parent has become incapacitated in some way and can’t express their wishes.

Another reason to plan well in advance is that it’s difficult to find senior housing, arrange for medical home visits, or set up other details at the last minute. In some cases, the types of services you are seeking might be booked years in advance.

Arrange the Necessary Paperwork

It’s amazing how many important documents a person can accumulate over their lifetime. And it’s equally amazing that the same documents will be nearly impossible to locate when you need them most.

From birth certificates and Social Security cards to living wills, mortgage statements, and medical records, there are literally dozens of things you might need to help an aging parent arrange life later on. If you have already seen the paperwork and know where to find it, that’s not a huge deal. But, as I once discovered, you can face nightmare scenarios trying to get things done on behalf of someone you love if you can’t produce the right forms and signatures.

No one likes paperwork, and your loved one might not be as organized as you would like. But by gathering a few pieces of paperwork each week or month now, you can save yourself a huge headache later.

Do Yourself a Favor and Begin Today

There isn’t anything I can tell you that will make you look forward to hours of research on assisted-care facilities or an uncomfortable conversation with your parents. However, if you take my advice and begin immediately, I can promise you that you will be glad you did later. The process might not ever be enjoyable, but it’s certainly much less stressful when you’ve got time on your side.

For more details – and the story of how I arranged care for my elderly mother from thousands of miles away – ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY.

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