Seniors: Preparing to Become a Family Caregiver

Being put in a position to be a family caregiver for an aging family member is a difficult position to be in. Sadly, there are many family members that aren’t ready to be thrust into this role until a healthcare crisis happens. Although there is no manual that will prepare you for this challenging role, there are many professionals, including our team of estate planning attorneys, who can help you through the process.

Steps That You Should Take When Preparing to Become a Family Caregiver

Regardless of whether you have time to plan to become a family caregiver or you’re thrown into this position quickly, there are many steps that you can take to make things not only easier on your family but easier on you as well. Here are some recommendations:

• Focus on health first

While it’s understandable that your mind may be in a million different places when facing the healthcare challenges of your loved one, the first thing that you should do is ensure that your loved one has the immediate help and care that he or she needs. Learning about their healthcare restrictions or what needs to be done on a daily basis will be a major factor in the level of healthcare that you may (or may not) be able to provide them.

• Ensure that you can make the commitment to being a caregiver

Caring for an aging loved one is something that is akin to a fulltime job. Therefore, before you take on this responsibility, it’s imperative that you understand the commitment that you need to make when it comes to care. If you work fulltime, you may find yourself in a position where you need to reach out to other healthcare organizations to receive additional support or offer care when you cannot. Remember, you will also need to set up an at-home environment with the medical equipment that your loved one may need. Therefore, it’s key that you do your homework and work out the logistics of this new reality in your life and the life of your loved one.

• Look into government assistance

Although being a care provider may seem like the less expensive alternative to a nursing facility, being a caregiver is something that can still cost a substantial amount of money. If you or your loved one does not have the funds to cover this expense, you should take the time to speak to an estate planning or elder law attorney and see if your loved one qualifies for government assistance. If he or she does not at that time, an estate planning or elder law attorney will be able to guide you through the process of determining when your loved one may be eligible.

• Don’t be opposed to a nursing facility

There are many families who are adamant that they do not want to see their loved one in a nursing facility. However, when you partner with the right nursing facility, you may come to find that your loved one can receive a high level of care and that being in this facility will take a substantial amount of pressure off of you.

Schedule an Appointment With Our Office Today

As experienced estate planning attorneys, we understand the hardships that families with seniors face every day. Our team is here to provide you with the guidance and the insight that you need to make some of the more difficult decisions that you may need to make as time goes on. We encourage you to get in touch with and schedule an appointment to talk about the options that you have when you’re getting ready to become a family caregiver.