The Platinum Rule

I’m sure most of us have heard of “The Golden Rule”. As we have hopefully been raised and/or will raise our own children, The Golden Rule has always been the standard…”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It has always been a good way to raise good humans. Well, with almost 21 years in the In-Home Care industry, caring for seniors in their homes and trying to adhere to their wishes and needs to be able to age in place, I have now subscribed to a different rule….”THE PLATINUM RULE”. What might that be? It’s still being a good human, but goes like this… “Do unto others as they would like to be done unto”. Simply, the way you want to be treated may not be how someone else would like to be treated. I find this applies immensely for our seniors who are aging in place in their homes and may need a helping hand to do so. What do they want or need, not necessarily the same as I would? You may have heard me discuss “The Talk”. Discuss with your aging loved ones how they see this journey progressing. And seniors, initiate this talk yourself if necessary. Some seniors may want to age in their home for the entire journey, some may prefer an Assisted Living Facility environment. But more importantly, an Advanced Healthcare Directive should be obtained, which is a legal document that covers this journey until the last day and beyond. If you become unresponsive in a health emergency, who is the person that you appoint as your legal agent to do so? They will administer your wishes…YOU will determine your final journey, medical decisions, etc. Without one, having a family member present will not suffice. A hospital cannot take medical decisions from anyone who is not legally appointed to do so, family or not, and the doctors will now have the final say. BTW, this also applies when a child turns 18, now an adult, and parents will be shut out of medical decisions. 18?…Get an Advanced Healthcare Directive! The Advanced Healthcare directive should be part of your Estate Plan that will dictate your financial, home and other assets destination to avoid probate (Judge decides).
Myles McNamara is the owner of Comfort Keepers In-Home Care and can be reached at (661) 287-4200