The Basics of Elder Care Planning

As your parents or other relatives age, you may find yourself transitioning into a new role as a caregiver. Whether you live down the street or across the country, you may become suddenly responsible for many different aspects of your relative's care, such as medical, legal and financial concerns.

An elder care plan can be a helpful resource for you, your family and your elder. This care plan maps out the areas where assistance is needed and can help you to divide responsibilities among family members.

In order for this care plan to be effective, everyone should be involved in the planning process, including your elder. By getting everyone's input up front, you can help to ensure that the care plan is acceptable to everyone. Read more to learn about the basics of creating an elder care plan.

• Deciding if the Time is Right to Help

• Building a Care Network

• Determining Care Needs

• Creating a List of Emergency Contacts

• Additional Information

Deciding if the Time is Right to Help

It can be difficult to determine how your elder will react to your offers to help, since such offers can signal a decline in independence. Communication is an important factor in helping an elderly relative or friend. Begin by talking with your elder about his or her physical and mental states and ask where the elder feels assistance might be needed.

Some things to consider are:

• Everyday activities. Some elders simply need or want some help with simple chores, such as cooking, cleaning or shopping. Others need more extensive assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, eating and medication administration. The amount and type of assistance that your elder needs can help to guide you in your search for appropriate care.
   

• Driving. Many elders continue to drive long after they are able to safely operate a vehicle. The independence that comes along with a driver's license can be difficult to give up. Some signs to watch out for are a high number of at-fault accidents, unexplained scratches or dents in the car or getting lost on a more frequent basis. If you feel that your elder should no longer drive, consider enlisting the help of his or her physician; sometimes an expert's opinion can be helpful.
   

• Physical appearance. Your elder's physical appearance can give you some clues as to how he or she is functioning on a daily basis. If your elder seems to be getting thin, perhaps a meal program would help him or her to eat better and more regularly. Also look for signs such as unexplained cuts or bruises or a general decline in grooming habits.
   

• Emotional state. A depressed or lonely mood can be a signal for a lot of issues. Your elder may need to talk with his or her physician to determine the cause of these moods. Or, he or she may need to find more social outlets, such as senior centers or independent-living retirement communities.

Talking directly with your elder can provide him or her with reassurance that you care and only have your elder's best interests at heart. If you show that you are really listening up front, your elder may feel more comfortable talking to you about needing help in the future.

Building a Care Network

It is near impossible for one person to cover all aspects of an elder's care without assistance. In order to help avoid getting burned out, you may want to build up a network of people and resources that are available to assist both you and your elder.

Some aspects of creating this network include:

• Identifying the “primary“ caregiver

• Enlisting help from trusted friends, neighbors and family

• Dividing responsibilities among available caregivers

• Researching local community resources

• Discussing the situation with your elder's physician

Determining Care Needs

The following questions can be useful in helping to determine the types of care that your elder needs:

• Can your elder safely continue to live in his or her current residence? Can your elder afford to continue living in his or her current residence? Does your elder want to move from his or her current residence or does he or she want to remain there?

• Does your elder need help with activities of daily living, also called ADLs?

• What medical conditions does your elder have? What types of care may be needed in the future in order to manage these conditions?

• Are there finances available to cover future medical needs? 

• Are wills, advance directives and trusts in order? Do you know where they are kept?

• Can your elder continue to drive safely or is transportation assistance needed?