Emotional and financial costs are associated with being the caregiver for an elderly family member.
It would be wise to take care of a few things before you become a caregiver, as discussed recently by Forbes in “4 Critical Things To Do Before Becoming A Caregiver.”
The pointers include:
- Make sure you have all of the elderly person’s legal, financial and medical documents. You need to know where the person has their bank accounts. You need to have their power of attorney and health care proxy. You need to know who the elderly person’s doctors are.
- Make sure your own finances are in good order. You might want to take some time off of work at the beginning of your caregiving, so make sure that you understand the FMLA.
- Make a personal care agreement with the elderly person. This is a written statement about what the expectations are. While not a legal document, this will help give everyone peace of mind and make the transition easier.
- Have your own support team in place. Caregiving is not easy. Make sure that you have people who can support you when you need it. You should enlist the aid of friends, family and organizations for the elderly.
Reference: Forbes (Jan. 22, 2017) “4 Critical Things To Do Before Becoming A Caregiver.”
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