Holiday Time is a Good Time to Check on Elderly Family Members

Online, December 21, 2009 (Newswire.com) - According to Rebecca R. Eddy, founder of Eddy & Schein In Home Administrators for Seniors, "Very often an elderly person does not want help with their daily activities until a crisis strikes. The important thing is to notice the small signs of diminished capacity in order to mitigate the possibility of an emergency down the road."

Some things you might notice:
• Repeated stories (if this is unusual)
• Forgetfulness
• Non recognition of family members
• Confusion
• Unsteady gait
• Diminished eating
• Clutter in a home that was clutter-free
• Less cleanliness of clothes and/or home
• Regularly scheduled doctor visits missed

Helping elderly family members keep their affairs in good shape and well-organized is key to a long and pleasant life. Here is a checklist of things to do if you see that help is needed:

1. Have a family member or friend willing and able to help a senior with paperwork and bills.
2. Check in weekly to make sure no piles are developing
3. If piles begin to appear, go through them in search of bills and important documents that may be mixed in with requests for charitable donations, ads for Medicare HMOs, catalogues and magazines.
4. Make sure that important documents have been prepared and are current - Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Will (review them annually)
5. Monitor checkbook and credit card spending to be sure that the senior is not living beyond his/her means, bouncing checks, incurring overdraft account fees, being taken advantage of, or missing payments to utility, insurance, and credit card companies as well as payment for rent/maintenance or mortgage and taxes (estimated and/or property).
6. Help seniors streamline credit card spending to one or two credit cards. Put away the others (or cut up) or cancel them (but only after careful analysis because lower credit limits can affect a person's credit score).
7. Get acquainted with the senior's filing system - know where important documents are kept and help the senior weed out unnecessary papers that make filing difficult.
8. Set up an easily accessible file into which tax related materials go throughout the year - letters of thanks from charities, medical expenditures and proof of reimbursement from health insurance companies, and at year end 1099s, K-1s, 1098s, etc. as they come in the mail.
9. Stop junk mail by contacting www.DMAChoice.Org and stop unwanted phone calls by registering with the National Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov).
10. Compare incoming medical bills with Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) from Medicare and secondary insurance company and pay bills only after all insurance payments have been made.
11. Review long term health care plan to be sure that the senior can afford long term care at home by aides or in a nursing home. If not, see an elder law attorney. Do not spend down a senior's assets with Medicaid eligibility as a goal before getting advice from an elder law attorney.
12. Confirm that taxes have been filed annually.
13. Create lists of emergency contacts, trusted advisors, doctors, and current prescriptions, giving the lists to those who might need them.

It is also a good time to ask yourself some questions:
• Am I prepared if my mother has a medical crisis?
• What if I discover slow deterioration in my great uncle?
• What help can I provide to my parents?
• What are my limitations due to family, work, distance, and relationship dynamics?
• Are my elderly parents' affairs in order?
• Would someone be able to seamlessly step in and handle finances and medical coordination if they cannot?

By planning ahead, long term care plans can be put into place and concerns can be minimized.