Legal

A ‘Grab & Go’ List is the KEY to Staying Organized As a SandwichGeneration Kid!

Senior Resource Central has tips for you! 

Our guest today is Heather Chubb–an elder care lawyer who specializes in legal planning for members of the Sandwich Generations (parents of young kids who also care for aging parents). Here’s what Heather wants to share with you:

I deal with this question of overwhelm all the time and I actually give my clients a resource through the office that I call a “Grab and Go Kit”. Anyone can create a Grab and Go Kit– and its super important to do so if you want to keep your sanity when caring for aging parents!

Skip the guessing game…know what your aging parents want

It’s about 5:30pm on a typical day at work at the skilled nursing facility. I’m wrapping up my final assessment of the day as a family member walks into the admissions office. He looks like he just got off work, plans to sign some paperwork, and then visit his elderly mother.

This poor guy looked exhausted. He let out a brief sigh of relief as soon as he sat down and took a breather. The admissions coordinator gave him a pile of papers to sign, each one giving us permission to do or not do something in regards to caring for his mother. He was on auto-pilot, signing his name to the most critical issues that no son ever wants to face.

Soon after, the admitting nurse approached the son with more paperwork and harder questions. This guy was cool as a cucumber; he had his act together and appeared that he knew his mother’s wishes and was confident with all his answers. I wanted to give him a “high five” for doing such a great job. He was realistic and he had accepted his mother’s gradually declining condition.

Not all families are prepared as this gentleman. I’m not a lawyer, nor do I plan to be one, but my suggestion is to touch base with an elder care attorney before making decisions for your parents. You really don’t want to address their legal and medical issues on your own.