For the children of aging parents, conversations with the elders and other members of the family can be difficult. However, it is important that these happen to ensure the protection of the elder adults and the assets that they worked so hard for throughout their lifetimes. Here are four reasons that it is important to talk to your loved ones about elder care planning.
- Understand What The Elders Want. Beginning conversations about elder care planning should start with an understanding of what the parents or other elders want. Would they like to stay in their home as long as possible? What type of medical care would they prefer? What happens to the home in the event a parent moves to a nursing home or other care facility? These are all questions that should be considered and discussed.
- Minimize Family Disagreements. While not all family members may agree to begin elder care planning for aging parents, it is essential that it happens in order to limit issues that arise in the future. If any disagreements between siblings or between children and their parents can be addressed and resolved at the beginning of the process, the care plan can be executed with minimal disruption. This can allow for more seamless care for the elders and ensure the proper measures are in place before a medical crisis or other unforeseen event occurs.
- Obtain Access To Documents And Information.There are numerous types of documents regarding health care and assets that need to be reviewed when setting up a comprehensive elder care plan. By talking with loved ones about their estates and their wishes in advance, access can be granted to accounts and documents that are essential in the planning process.
- Set Clear Expectations. Once the planning process has begun, all aspects of the elders’ lives can be examined and included in a care plan. Estate planning documents such as wills and trusts, along with advance health care directives and powers of attorney can be established so that everyone fully understands what will happen in certain situations, who will be making decisions and how the assets are to be distributed.
Get The Help You Need Planning For The Future
Once you have begun the conversations about estate planning and elder care planning, it may be time to enlist the help of an experienced estate planning and elder law attorney. These professionals have vast insight into and experience handling matters that pertain to protecting your loved ones, their estates and their legacies. By sitting down with a lawyer and discussing your options, you can ensure that your loved ones’ needs are going to be met with the documents and designations that you create.
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