in one place?
4. Is it accessible? Information locked in an inaccessible safety deposit box or Dad’s home safe is as good as no information at all.
5. Is the information organized so that needed answers can be found quickly, not only by you and Mom but by someone who might have to step up in a crisis?
There is also a sixth, and final, question you should be able to answer yes to:
6. Have similar legal documents been prepared and information gathered for all family members of legal age? (Remember Ed Junior? He did not plan to fall from the diving board, but that fall was a life-changing event at age twenty-four. How different would things have been if documentation and a Plan had been in place?)
When you are preparing a Caregiving Plan, even the smallest details may one day be important.
Were you able to answer yes to all six questions? If you were, well done, but do not forget to review the information and update as needed. If you were not, everyone has work to do. The sections that follow will assist you in your preparation.
You may know a great deal about the person you care for, or you may know very little. When you are preparing a Caregiving Plan, even the smallest details may one day be important.
Regardless of where someone is in the spectrum of care process—even if there is no immediate concern—by developing a complete picture of a person’s background and resources, you can determine next steps. The next step may simply be planning for savings and investments, or it may be reorganizing to ensure that an effective Caregiving Plan can be put into place. You need to consider the same questions regardless of where someone is in the care process.
Even a young person can begin thinking about these questions. It is never too early to plan.
Does Everyone Need Legal Documents?
Absolutely! To ensure effective family caregiving, essential documents should be in place for every family member. Being young and “invincible” does not guarantee protection against illness or accident any more than age guarantees it. Everyone must prepare for the unexpected by putting healthcare documents in place, especially when the relationship is a domestic partnership (unmarried or with significant others). Without proper documents the law will not permit someone to share in personal information nor can that person participate in essential decision-making.
Durable Powers of Attorney are essential, and the legal rights of the people in every relationship need to be formally in place. No matter what the relationship may be, or how long it has been in place, or what has been said, even in front of witnesses—without valid formal documentation there is little that can be readily done. This is also true for adult children acting on behalf of parents and grandparents or siblings acting for siblings. Without legal documents, you have no greater rights than a total stranger.
While a doctor or healthcare provider may accommodate you with basic information in an emergency situation, the rest of the System may not. Something as simple as accessing prescription information at a pharmacy may not be allowed. You may have a great relationship with your aunt’s primary care doctor who may cooperate in keeping you informed, but what happens if your aunt falls ill and her doctor is on a vacation or a business trip?
Having access is also important if you have to gather needed information for tax purposes at the end of the year on unreimbursed prescription expenses, or write checks to pay your aunt’s bills, or access her safety deposit box. The ability to sign her into a nursing home or assisted living facility will be severely limited without a Durable Powers of Attorney with Medical Authority, and you may wind up being financially responsible without the legal protections that are built into such documents. Contracts and documents for care and services need to be carefully reviewed. If you are unsure about the contract, consult a professional.
Get It Organized—Make It Handy!
Being organized and ready now saves time and worry later. Remember: Anyone at any age can be “hit by a bus” and be just as incapacitated as someone with a chronic or terminal illness, such as multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease.
Information on who makes healthcare decisions when Mom cannot make them should be in the charts of her primary healthcare provider and all her specialists. The documents need to be up-to-date, state-specific, and available to designated family members or friends when the need arises.
