Caregiver Hints

Probably the most difficult question a caregiver asks themselves is…am I doing enough?

What makes this a particularly tricky question is that there is really no way to gauge it. Every “patient” will have different needs, and each caregiver will have different resources. One of the dangers is that most caregivers do not have a chance to determine their available resources or do any kind of planning before their role as caregiver begins. Often, the rollercoaster ride begins when a sudden health “event” occurs. This can be a heat-attack, stroke, fall, or the onset of an illness such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. The path after that can be a domino effect of successive events that don’t allow much time for planning, or catching one’s breath.

Here is where the danger begins…and I speak from unfortunate experience. By the time most people recognize that they are over-extending themselves, they are already running on fumes and the damage to one’s personal health has probably already begun. And if you are not careful, this damage can extend to your work and relationships.

…to be continued

This is perhaps the most important legal document you will have to deal with next to a person’s will. For anyone who is about to begin the journey of caring for an aging parent or loved one, you will find that if this is not taken care of early enough, it will make the tasks of managing the person’s care and finances incredibly difficult.

For anyone who is facing the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s in a parent, it will be really important to have a POA prepared and dealt with BEFORE the person is deemed unfit to authorize such a document.

I narrowly missed having my Mother officially diagnosed with dementia before getting this paperwork processed. To have a doctor officially make this diagnosis before your parent can make this decision, will make the ability to get legal approval to manage their assets extremely difficult.

I will be talking more about this with some details in the future. I only stumbled upon this fact accidentally and if I hadn’t found out until later, I would have had even more stress that I already had. You are going to need to find good legal advice to take on the variety of issues you will come across to care for a family member. The more prepared you are the better!