The right elder care plan for your loved one requires planning, and the right team of caregivers and professionals will help every step of the way.
Assembling an elder care team for your loved one is an important step you can take to ensure their needs are met.
While taking care of an elderly loved one is never an easy fact to face, the process will be easier to manage with the right team in place, including physicians, attorneys, and daily caregivers.
When to Address Elder Care Needs
Begin planning early. This will allow your loved one to voice their opinions and make choices regarding their elder care plan.
If you have not done so, make time with your loved one to go over their financial situation to understand the care options available to them. It is best to work with an elder care professional because they will ensure that every aspect is covered.
During this process, you and your loved one will need to assemble a team that will assist in their daily care.
Key Members of an Elder Care Team
You want to ensure that you have all key members of the team on board. From medical help to legal help, you and your family need to understand the roles and responsibilities of each member.
Primary Caregiver
The primary caregiver is who will help your loved one with daily tasks from bathing and getting dressed to eating and administering medications or treatment. These tasks, of course, depend on the specific needs and stage of the senior.
While the caregiver may be a paid professional, like an in-home nurse, it could also be someone who is not a medical professional, like a spouse, child, or grandchild. If you wish to become your loved one’s primary caregiver, remember that this role requires patience, kindness, and constant monitoring.
If you’re worried that the caregiver role is too much to handle on your own, you can ask other family members to help. Create a plan in which caregiving tasks are shared so that the work is not left to one person. This can allow your family to divide up responsibilities, assigning roles based on each person’s strengths.
Doctors and specialists
Your elderly loved one also needs a team of medical professionals. Patients of all ages rarely receive care from just one doctor, as most care plans involve a team of health professionals who communicate and work together to provide the highest quality and most comprehensive care possible.
This team of doctors may also include specialists, aside from the primary care doctor, depending on if your loved one has conditions that require additional attention. These could include diabetic care, Alzheimer’s care, or surgical needs.
Executor and Trustee
There are estate planning needs to be considered as part of the elder care plan. Your loved one will need to create a Last Will that assigns the role of the executor to his or her estate. If they wish to set up a trust, a designated trustee will manage the trust before and after your loved one’s death.
The executor or trustee should be someone who has experience with financials, and perhaps even the legal system. This person will manage finances, legal proceedings, if applicable, and the distribution of the estate.
Your loved one should also have a Health Care Power of Attorney. If they are unable to make their own medical decisions as they end their life, the designated person has the right to handle tough decisions on the patient’s behalf.
Elder Law Attorney
The entire process will be less stressful for you and your family if you engage the services of a certified elder law attorney. These professionals will ensure you have considered every aspect of the estate planning process and have the right elder care team in place. Make sure your elder law attorney is someone that you and your loved one trust enough to be comfortable discussing these difficult subjects with.
To set up an appointment with an elder law attorney, contact our team at Elder Law Department at Goldberg Law Group. We approach care coordination, long-term care planning, and estate planning with compassion and expertise.
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