Supporting Your Family Through Care Transitions

Maintaining open lines of communication is vital for everyone in the family to know their roles. Discuss your parents' needs regularly and urge all members to be honest about their availability, strengths, and limitations. It may help to divide tasks based on skills. One sibling, for example, might be the best choice to handle finances, while another provides day-to-day check-ins. Shared calendars, care apps, or written plans can help keep all siblings on the same page. When necessary, bring in professional caregivers or other outside help to minimize stress on the family.

To create a care plan for your loved one, assess their health needs while discussing their preferences and challenges. Make a list of areas where they need or want assistance, such as with housekeeping assistance or their activities of daily living (grooming, bathing, dressing, etc). Do they need transportation? Are they open to moving from their home? Determining the best course of action may take multiple respectful conversations with your family. Update your plan regularly as your parents' situation and health changes to ensure that it continues to reflect their needs.

Managing your parent's medical appointments and medications is easiest with solid organization and communication. Keep a central list of doctors, medications and dosages, appointment dates, and pharmacy information. Use a calendar, medication organizer, or a digital care app to make it simple to retrieve needed information. Attend appointments with your loved one to ask questions and take notes. Keep open lines of communication with all members of your parent's medical team to help reduce errors and improve their overall care.

Helping your parent stay independent begins with trust and respect. Be patient if they participate in activities that they have always enjoyed doing more slowly than they used to. Encourage them to stay physically and socially active and to make decisions for their own care. Recognize any small adjustments you can help them make, such as simplifying daily tasks, using assistive devices, or arranging for occasional help in the home when needed. Check in regularly and watch for changes in health and behavior to ensure a balance between independence and support.

To support your parent with dementia or memory loss, start by developing an understanding of their condition. Work with their medical team to tailor a plan to their specific needs. Focus on maintaining a safe and familiar environment for them and establishing routines that reduce confusion and anxiety. Be patient and present in their life, and encourage them to engage with their environment in ways that consider their comfort. For help creating a care plan that fits their needs, visit our guide on how to create a dementia care plan.

Start with open communication and collaborative planning. Respect your parent's wishes, and involve them in decisions about the community you choose, room setup, and daily routine. Include them in visits to potential communities and encourage them to ask questions. After choosing a community, offer to help coordinate the move and set up their new home. Once they move in, stay involved. Share meals, attend activities with them, and check in regularly. Want more guidance? Visit our guide on the process of getting someone in assisted living.

It's common for families to pull together various sources to pay for long-term care. Options may include personal savings, pensions, long-term care insurance, and/or VA benefits for eligible veterans. Rental income, a reverse mortgage, or the sale of a home, can also help. People with limited financial resources can use Medicaid, augmented by federal, state, and local charitable programs. Want an easy way to estimate long-term care costs and plan your budget? Our budget calculator can help.

Yes. In these cases, special rules protect the spouse who does not qualify, who is known as the community spouse. Spousal impoverishment may occur if health care expenses have depleted the couple's finances and one person needs Medicaid to pay for care. In this case, protections put into place by Congress protect the community spouse. Under Medicaid's spousal impoverishment provisions, a certain amount of income belonging to the couple is protected for the spouse still living in the community, even if the other person uses Medicaid to cover nursing home care.

Caring for a senior loved one is easier when you have access to their legal, medical, and financial documents. Some examples of important documents to consider include a power of attorney, a health care proxy, and an advance directive or living will. With these documents in place, you can make decisions for your senior parents when they are unable to. You may also want access to their insurance cards, Medicare or Medicaid information, online passwords, a list of medications, bank account details, and contact details for doctors and service providers.

To get power of attorney (POA) for your parent, start by choosing the type of POA you need. Some options focus on medical, others on financial matters, and some cover both subjects. Discuss each type with your parent to understand their wishes and identify your ideal pathway. You will need to complete any appropriate legal forms, which vary by state. Generally, you will need to sign the papers in front of a notary or witnesses. Finally, file copies with banks, doctors, or others as needed. Our guide to power of attorney covers this information in more detail.

Family caregivers may have some rights, based on their location, personal situation, and employer. For example, they may have the right to take a job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a parent with serious medical concerns. They may also have access to caregiving benefits or support programs through local, state, or federal agencies. If they have legal authorization, such as a healthcare proxy or power of attorney, they may have the right to make medical or financial decisions for their loved ones.