subject: Most Of Us Are Unprepared To Care For Aging Parents [print this page] There are many things that people do not want to think about and one near the top of the list has to be caring for aging parents. It seems a lot like drawing up a will or planning ones own funeral. We all know how necessary these things are, but not all of us are well prepared. In a recent survey, it was found that 28% of respondents are currently caring for an elderly or disabled relative. 73% of caregivers indicate that their care-giving role was due to an unplanned event. Almost one-third of respondents who care for or plan to care for an elderly family member have or had no specific plan in place to cover living arrangements and or financial needs.
There are many ways, however, to plan for the need to take care of aging parents. There are thousands of websites with information and thousands of services to help care for the elderly. Each family situation is unique and each family will have to create their own plan. As parents begin to age, its important to include them in any decisions regarding their care. Living arrangements, finances, and sibling roles will all need to be discussed.
One way to get the conversation started is by getting worksheets filled out by all family members. This might take some of the burden off of the oldest in the family. No one really knows who will need extra care next, so its smart to plan for everyone at once. Include any information about finances including savings of all kinds, locations of bank accounts, wills, and pre-paid burial plots. Its also important that ones will provides access to finances should the older relative not be able to manage their own accounts any longer.
When respondents were asked if theyve discussed their own care with their children, 40% said they would when the time was right. Unfortunately, it seems as if the right time is rarely upon us and the need for care is often a surprise. Now is the time to start the conversation. Putting it off doesnt benefit anyone.
