I meet with many families who are concerned about their elderly parents. Mom has dementia, needs constant supervision, and will run out of money paying for care. Dad had a stroke, and his care costs in the skilled nursing facility are $8,000 per month. Mom’s medical issues are worsening, and she is forgetful, refusing help, and becoming a danger to herself.
Dad won’t consider an assisted living facility, but he keeps falling and mixing up his medications. How do we get the care they need, without running out of money? How do we protect the home? How do we get VA benefits on dad’s military service record to help with the care costs? How do we get Medi-Cal? And these questions just scratch the surface.
Adult children need a plan to care for their aging parents. Although many adult children try not to assume the role of the parent, it is inevitable. For those that have a plan, handling the many issues that arise is often easier. Failure to plan usually means the adult children will be in “crisis” when there is a medical emergency involving their parent. The adult child will be surprised that they lack legal authority to make medical or other decisions for their parent, and are unable to access funds to pay the parent’s bills. It usually means that the parent will use most or all of their assets on long-term care expenses, because there was no planning for VA or public benefits. Adult children will make costly mistakes, because they did not have accurate or complete information, and did not have a plan.
Dementia and other illnesses can complicate the process. Those affected often are unable to reason or think rationally, they are easily agitated, suffer from depression and/or paranoia. It is important to plan as soon as possible, before the health crises arise. For more information on advance planning for senior parents, please visit our website video: www.theMcNamaraLawFirm.com.
The McNamara Law Firm may be reached at 661-287-3260. For information about Veterans Benefits, please visit www.VAbenefits4seniors.com.