One of the most stressful situations for a caregiver is having to sign the admission’s contract for a parent with a Skilled Nursing Facility. The document is long, has chapters, sections, and exhibits. Every other page mentions “waiver” of this and that. The admissions person is eager to get the new resident signed in. The family may feel pressure to commit. The admissions person presents the signing pages one after another and directs “sign here and here.” The caregiver is f

It is common for adult children caregivers to take over managing their parents’ money and paying the bills. This often starts as an administrative task. The child caregiver moves money between accounts when necessary and writes out the checks each month. Access to bank accounts is on a permission basis and prepared checks are presented to the parent to sign. When a parent is unable to directly participate, for whatever reason, then access to the accounts and the execution of

The job of caregiver sometimes starts abruptly or over time. Once you realize that you are that person, there are critical first steps to take to ensure success. Ask your parent to see a copy of their Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive, particularly if your parent is no longer independent with one or more activities of daily living. If these documents were drawn up by anyone other than an Elder Law Attorney, have them reviewed for validity and completeness. Th

As a parent’s need for support with activities of daily living grows, it is common to involve home health aides from an agency to cover certain parts of the day. In preparation for this, the family should put away anything of significant monetary or sentimental value that easily fits into a pocket or bag. Stuff just has a way of disappearing over time. Just saying… Setting boundaries for the parent and caregiver around finances is important. Financial entanglement breaks down

Delaware has the fifth fastest aging population in the country. Many individuals and couples move to Delaware to retire so it is not uncommon for a senior’s family to live in other parts of the country. What are the options for out-of-state children to manage the long-term care of their parent when the time comes? This situation becomes acute for adult children who must find care on short notice and placement is complicated by the emotional or medical need of the parent. Exam