Plan ahead for elder-care needs

According to MetLife Mature Market Institute’s Since You Care guide, there are some 34 million Americans providing care to older family members. And 15 percent of these caregivers, or 5.1 million, live one or more hours from the person for whom they are providing care.

According to MetLife, these “long-distance caregivers” in many instances are caring for a parent or other older relative and are also employed and have dependent children of their own. Sometimes, due to actual physical distance or other constraints, the long-distance caregiver may be unable to provide the direct, everyday, hands-on care but is responsible for arranging for paid care and coordinating the services that are provided.

And that’s no easy task. But there are ways to simplify the process.

First, adult children should determine, along with their parents exactly what help is needed.

In some cases, adult children should consider hiring a professional geriatric care manager who can assess a family member’s needs and who, if need be, can provide ongoing case management. Geriatric care managers are often familiar with the services that are available to aging parents.

A professional geriatric care manager might charge $100 to $500 for an assessment and $60 to $90 an hour for ongoing care. If you choose this option, work with geriatric managers who are licensed or certified by the states in which they work and be sure to conduct a full background check before you hire. Many states and municipalities typically have benefits and resources that can be used by qualifying individuals to help cover the costs of some of these services.

Be prepared

Before a crisis occurs, caregivers and older family members should complete and widely distribute a “caregiver emergency information” kit. That kit should contain all necessary medical, financial and legal information, including doctors, medications, insurance information, assets, Social Security numbers, wills, living wills, durable powers of attorney and health care proxies.

Adult children should ask their parents to complete privacy release forms and keep copies on file with their parent’s doctor’s office. That way, the parent’s doctor can discuss an older family member’s health.

Experts say adult children should establish an informal support network of family, neighbors, friends, clergy and others who might help. Adult children, when visiting their parents or older family members, should introduce themselves to neighbors and friends and keep their phone numbers and addresses handy. If an adult child can’t reach a parent, calling that informal network can provide peace of mind. Plus, they may also be able to help with some needed tasks.

Visit often

Long-distance caregivers should visit their older family members every few months to check for signs of trouble – which might include changes in personal hygiene, old food in the refrigerator and unfinished chores. Long-distance caregivers should note, however, that such care can be expensive. According to MetLife, caregivers spend an average of $193 per month on out-of-pocket purchases and services for the care recipient and another $199 per month in traveling and long-distance phone expenses.

Consult your financial planner early on, to ensure that your loved ones are properly cared for in the future.

Troy E. Kennedy is senior vice president and shareholder with Springfield Trust Co., an independent trust company managing approximately $580 million in assets. He can be reached at www.springfieldtrust.com.[[In-content Ad]]