How to Spot When an Aging Loved One Needs Help

It is important to know the signs of when your elderly loved ones may need help and figuring out where and how to afford health and home care settings.

2011-11-25

November 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) How to Spot When an Aging Loved One Needs Help

Asking for help is never easy, especially for an aging loved one used to being self-reliant. Yet as seniors grow further into their golden years, they may need a great deal of help keeping up with day-to-day tasks. But it's not uncommon for seniors to let basic needs go entirely unmet before they tell another person that they're no longer able and need help.

How do you help in such a case? It's important to avoid putting an elderly person on the defensive. "Elder Care Made Easier" author Marion Somers advises using "I" statements. Instead of saying "You need to clean your kitchen," for example, you might say "I see the kitchen could use a good cleaning." Opening up the conversation to include a physician, or even a representative from an agency working in elder care, can also defuse any potential confrontation before it starts and move the conversation in a constructive direction.

Signs That a Senior May Need Help

It's important to keep an eye out for warning signs that an elder isn't practicing good self-care. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs offers a helpful checklist of indicators that greater help is needed, which include:
-Poor hygiene
-Food going bad in the refrigerator
-Not taking medicine correctly
-Leaving mail unopened and bills unpaid

If you see signs like these, you should look into what resources your community offers. Many states administer programs that provide services such as health insurance counseling, delivering nutritious meals, bathing and dressing and even checking in on the care a nursing home facility is providing.

While help with daily living can be essential for the elderly, so too is proper estate and health care planning. For example, an advance directive can allow an individual to direct doctors and a health care proxy as to what kind of medical treatment he or she would like in the event of physical or mental incapacitation. What hospital, nursing home or treatments they would like, whether they want home care and other important health care options can provide the elderly -- and their loved ones -- with reassurance they are being treated the way they would want.

In addition, a will, living trust and durable power of attorney can allow an individual the chance to prepare for both the financial obstacles of elderly health care and the ability to provide for their loved ones after they have gone.

Vigilance and proper planning are vital to meeting the needs of a senior and providing the best possible care. Contact an estate planning attorney to discuss the best way to care for your aging relative legally and financially.

Article provided by Center For Elder Law & Estate Planning
Visit us at http://www.center4elderlaw.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Estate Planning for Disabled Children and Relatives

2011-11-25

Estate Planning for Disabled Children and Relatives If you care for a child or other relative with a physical or developmental disability, you may frequently find yourself worrying about how your loved one will get by once you're gone. The good news is that by taking proactive steps now, you can ensure that your loved one enjoys a healthy and fulfilling life, even though you're no longer around to provide support. Special Needs Trusts Are the Best Option New York law provides for an estate planning mechanism called a "special needs trust" that is specifically ...

Tips for Avoiding Wage Garnishment During Debt Collection Proceedings

2011-11-25

Tips for Avoiding Wage Garnishment During Debt Collection Proceedings According to CNN, the average American household with at least one credit card has $10,700 in credit-card debt. In addition to owing money on credit-cars, many people also owe money on their homes, cars and for higher education. It is unfortunate that many individuals and families are burdened by debt collection lawsuits, constant phone calls or wage garnishment. Considering the job market and the overall state of the economy, it is no wonder why Americans are struggling to pay off their debt and ...

Property Division Even Tougher When A Family Business Is Involved

2011-11-25

Property Division Even Tougher When A Family Business Is Involved Apart from child custody, property division is often one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce case. When the property in question is a family business, the situation gets even stickier. Just like homes, cars and investments, family businesses are, in most circumstances, marital property that is subject to division during a divorce. This is true even if the business was a sole proprietorship or if only one spouse was involved in running it. The law generally assumes that the other spouse contributed ...

CA High Court Indirectly Affirms Workers' Compensation Claim Flexibility

2011-11-25

CA High Court Indirectly Affirms Workers' Compensation Claim Flexibility Workers' compensation is designed to protect both employers and employees from unexpected costs arising from a work related injury or illness. Although not all workers are covered, including contractors, workers' compensation provides people with funding, as well as peace of mind when they are unable to work. Here is an example of how workers' compensation functions: if an assistant is putting away heavy filing boxes, but slips and severely injures her back, workers' compensation insurance should ...

Contributory Negligence in North Carolina

2011-11-25

Contributory Negligence in North Carolina In relationships, fault is a matter of perspective, but in the legal arena, fault determines degrees of liability and the right to fair compensation. In most states, comparative negligence rules apply. In North Carolina and only a few sister states, contributory negligence is the standard. While attempts have failed in the past, the state's lawmakers have drafted a bill to abandon this old standard. Generally, contributory negligence is a common law rule that bars accident victims from receiving fair compensation for injuries ...

State Troopers to Undergo Car Crash Investigation Training

2011-11-25

State Troopers to Undergo Car Crash Investigation Training In a recent example of the danger Florida's highways can pose, a car in Jefferson County swerved onto the shoulder, turned back across both lanes of the road onto the opposite shoulder, spun out and crashed into a utility pole. A 17-year old passenger was killed; the driver fled on foot. Sometime later, the Florida Highway Patrol began investigating the accident. Why Wait? Highway Accident Investigations to Start Sooner Florida state troopers who arrive on the scene of deadly highway car accidents will ...

Wrong-site Surgeries Still Persist

2011-11-25

Wrong-site Surgeries Still Persist As the nation moves toward health care reform, and reducing the risk of surgery-related injuries and complications, another public health concern looms. For people like a Virginia woman who recently underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor only to find that the surgeon had operated on the wrong shoulder, the issue is very real. Wrong-site surgery is a significant medical error and a recent Health Affairs study has brought to light how serious the issue has become in American hospitals. In a recent study published in Health Affairs, ...

Cerebral Palsy: Causes and Symptoms of your Child's Condition

2011-11-25

Cerebral Palsy: Causes and Symptoms of your Child's Condition Every parent wants their child to grow up and live a long, healthy life. Unfortunately, reality remains that children experience life-altering diagnoses every day. One disease affecting our children is cerebral palsy (CP), which according to the Mayo Clinic (Mayo) is caused by an abnormality or disruption in brain development. This abnormality usually develops before birth, but can occasionally occur post-delivery. What is CP and What Are its Symptoms? Mayo defines CP as a disorder of movement, muscle ...

An Oral Fix: SNC2 INK Books Releases Lust Have Recipes: IN-Gredients for Stimulation eBook

2011-11-25

In the current recession many couples who can't afford to divorce are opting for another alternative; finding ways to make their marriage work. In a story reported recently in the Huffington Post, "for many downsized couples, divorce just doesn't make financial sense." Questions then remain on how to make it work. How do couples reignite the spark of fresh love? Author C. Nzingha Smith suggests couples go back to the basics in her new release, Lust-Have Recipes: IN-Gredients for Stimulation. "My hope and one of the inspirations behind writing Lust Have Recipes ...

Get A Look Inside George Harrison's "Material World" at the Grammy Museum

2011-11-25

George Harrison, one of the most influential musicians of all time, and a member of The Beatles may have been taken from us too soon, but for fans of the music, as well as the man, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA is currently hosting a limited exhibit that showcases the life and memory of the man, entitled "George Harrison: Living in the Material World." The exhibit, currently running until March 25th of 2012, showcases items from throughout the artist's life and beyond, including screenings of Martin Scorsese's recent documentary, which shares its name ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study shows psychedelic drug psilocybin gives comparable long-term antidepressant effects to standard antidepressants, but may offer additional benefits

Study finds symptoms of depression during pregnancy linked to specific brain activity: scientists hope to develop test for “baby blues” risk

Sexual health symptoms may correlate with poor adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy in Black women with breast cancer

Black patients with triple-negative breast cancer may be less likely to receive immunotherapy than white patients

Affordable care act may increase access to colon cancer care for underserved groups

UK study shows there is less stigma against LGBTQ people than you might think, but people with mental health problems continue to experience higher levels of stigma