Tips
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If your parent is incontinent, remember to keep an extra pair of pants and underwear in the trunk of your car.
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If your parent needs help to and from the toilet, buy a bell that he can ring when he's finished, so you don't have to stand outside the door waiting.
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If your parent has to use the bathroom at night, put a flashlight by her bed so she can safely find her way to the bathroom.
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If your parent with dementia can't remember where the bathroom is, draw a picture of a toilet and put it on the bathroom door.
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To minimize embarrassment from accidents, encourage your incontinent parent to wear dark colors, such as black and navy blue.
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A radiation burn can cause red, raw skin, so treat radiation burns with soothing gel. Heal the pain of radiation burns with soothing gel like Radiacare and RadiaDres.
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When you have arthritis, brushing your teeth is not easy. This tip might help.
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Legal documents, such as an advance healthcare directive, won't do much good if doctors, family, and other people can't find it in an emergency. Encourage your parents to keep key information -- where the documents are, the name and phone number of their healthcare agent and attorney -- on a card in...
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If you and your siblings are squabbling over who should pay for specific costs when it comes to your parent's care, consider drafting what elder law attorneys refer to as a memorandum of understanding, a written agreement specifying how you and your siblings will split up the workload -- and the cos...
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Whether it's a hospital admission agreement, a long-term care facility contract, or a retainer agreement with an attorney, avoid clauses that force you or your parents into binding arbitration to resolve any disputes with the service provider. This clause not only signs away your constitutional righ...
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Give family members (and anyone else you designate) 24-hour access to your parents' important legal documents -- including their health care power of attorney and living will, HIPAA release, and organ donation forms -- by putting them online. Services such as DocuBank and Legal Directives make it ea...
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If your parents keep their will and other legal documents in a safety deposit box in their name, remind them that courts sometimes seal the box at the time of death. Better options: Keep a copy of important documents with their attorney, in a safe at home (making sure someone they trust has the comb...
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Help your parents avoid falling victim to unscrupulous telemarketers and sales schemes by placing them on the national "Do Not Call" registry. Once your parents' number is listed, companies can't legally contact them unless they already do business with your parents. Call 888-382-1222 for details, o...
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Whenever you hire an attorney, ask for a list of all of the costs involved. Some attorneys charge a flat fee; others bill by the hour, at a rate that can range from $175 to $500 for the most experienced attorneys. You'll likely also be billed for mailing expenses, filing fees, and routine tasks like...
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Seniors don't always know when they're being scammed. And when it happens, it's often by people they already know. Protect your parents -- no matter where you or they live -- by monitoring their checking account online. Most major banks offer online banking, and you can ask your parents to give you ...
