26 Questions to Consider:

1. Do you know the names and phone numbers of their doctors?

2. Do you know these physicians personally?

3. Are your parents enrolled in an HMO? What do you know about their coverage and the quality of their HMO?

4. Are they covered by Medicare? Do they have supplemental insurance?

5. Do your parents' have a lawyer? An Accountant? A financial planner? Do you know any of these people personally?

6. Do your parents have a will? (70% of Americans don't) Do you know where it is kept?

7. Do you have health care power of attorney? Do you have power of attorney?

8. How familiar are you with the "continuum of care". Do you know the difference between a retirement community (Sun City), an assisted living, a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, rehab, Alzheimer's units, hospice care and home care services such as homemaker, personal attendant care, and skilled home health agencies.

9. Do you know how your parents feel about the possibility of leaving their home?

10. How much do you know about your parent's finances?

11. Do you know what level of care they can afford?

12. Do you have other family members who might help serve as caregivers?

13. How honestly - and how recently - have you talked with your siblings and other family members about how you plan to care for your parents?

14. Is the family in agreement on what should be done?

15. Do you know who will be the primary caregiver or if it will be a shared responsibility?

16. If you will be the primary caregiver, how do you feel about that? Are you willing to take on the responsibility?

17. How do your spouse and children feel about your commitment to your parents?

18. What is your current relationship with your parents? Is it open and honest or are there a number of unresolved issues?

19. What can you do to resolve or ameliorate those issues?

20. Do your parents live nearby or will caring for them require a move?

21. Will they be moving near you or will you be moving near them?

22. How does your immediate family feel about either of those choices?

23. How candidly have you talked to your parents about their future?

24. Is there an "elephant" in your living room? Are there on-going issues that have not been discussed such as alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, dangerous driving, memory loss, inadequate diet or self-imposed isolation? Do you have the courage to discuss these issues?

25. Do your parents want extraordinary measures taken in case of medical emergency? Do they have a living will? Do they want to be organ donors?

26. Do you know what kind of funeral service they want, if any? Do they want their service in a funeral home or a church? Would they prefer an open casket or closed? Do they want to be cremated? Do you know a reputable funeral home?

 
Samantha Young has 17 years experience caring for older adults.  She  has a degree in Health Professions from Southwest Texas State University and is a licensed Nursing Facility Administrator. In 2000, after ten years of working in a facility and running a successful non-profit program, she started Practcial Care Continuum (www.practicalcare.com ) .  It is one of the Top 5 Non-medical Home Care Agencies according to the Austin Business Journal.  Samantha can be reached at 512-380-9339. 

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