Forecast

I titled this "Forecast" because this is what I want you to do as a potential caregiver and decision maker.  Forecast what could happen with your loved one, the person(s) you just might have to care for.  Forecast as far in advance as you can. 

Here is a list of things that will help for easy transition of several things, including the mail!!! Yes, the mail!!  This will be a list and you will read in my other blog stories why these are important.

I know more will come to mind after I publish this. I will add to it as I think of things.

Mail and other findings

1. Stop all unnecessary mail as soon as you can: charities, catalogs, magazine subscriptions.  If this mail is not stopped before your address is the forwarding address, guess who is going to get all of this mail.  BTW the mailman does not like for you to put (return to sender) on the mail. LOL--he was not happy with me.  Sometimes on the charity solicitations there is a return postage paid envelope, if there is write a message on the donation card asking them to stop sending.
I still get mail like Dish network, credit cards etc for my mom and not sure why. Their mail will magically start coming to you with their name and sometimes your name. Mail you never would've otherwise received. I even get mail for my sister who used my moms address.

2.  When it comes time to move them and before you have garage sale, call all of your friends, family to see if they want to buy anything.  It's nice to get as much furniture (big items) out of the way so you don't have to deal with it at estate sale.  Kids going to college always needs stuff....cheap!

3.  Don't feel you need to buy your loved one a ton of new clothes for nursing home. If anything, buy them things now so they can get used to it.  If they have dementia and you try to introduce new clothes to them they will think it's not theirs. True story!!

4.  If you your parent/grandparent saves things that are not necessary, like old mail, magazines, paper in general, start cleaning out and throwing away as much as you can, or as much as they will allow you to.  No when their sanitation engineer comes.

5. When you have the estate sale, have a company or someone on stand by to pick up all that is left because when the house sells the realtor will want all of it out.  City codes may or may not allow you to leave junk for pick up. It's not pretty to look at anyway so it's better to have it picked up the day of estate sale or next day.

6.  Pets--be sure you know what to do with their pet(s) if you are not willing to take them.

7.  Pictures and other personal items-my sister mailed a lot of pictures to my mom. If you have siblings who gave you parent (loved one) pictures or personal items like jewelry then have them come get them. In my case I had to mail them. I didn't want all the pictures at my house and it certainly wasn't my place to keep any other personal items that I didn't give my mom.


Medicare/Medicaid, other medical, legal, bank accts, real estate, funeral
(please note that I am not a doctor or a lawyer and I do not play one on TV so please seek professional advice if you need it for your state as laws are different by state and change constantly)

1. Medicare/Medicaid...no the difference between the two
2. Find out if they have supplemental insurance
3.  Hire a lawyer that is familiar with current Medicaid laws.
4.  My mom was allowed to keep her car, even though she was not driving and living in a nursing home.  (that law may have changed)
5.  Find out as soon as possible the laws in your state regarding the house being "willed" to someone.  If they are going on Medicaid chances are no one will get to keep the house. (my mom had a reverse mortgage so that settled that issue).
6.  Have someone who is trustworthy and has the time to handle finances become a co-signer on checking acct.  I pay the nursing home from my moms acct.
7.  Pay for funeral in advance. Pre-need burial is an allowed expenditure after applying for Medicaid.


Before Nursing Home
1. In home care was something I tried for a little while. I really liked the company I used.  If I remember correctly we had 3 people came on different days, a nurse, someone to clean my mom (we stopped that one because she didn't need it), a speech therapist.  They noted everything and that was helpful. When they started asking me how long I was going to keep her home I knew it was time to move her out.
2.  Police-mom called the police during the night on more than one occasion because she thought someone was in her house. Of course the police would then call me.

Nursing Homes
( I do not know anything about assisted living, private homes and/or options for those with long term care that will not depend on Medicaid)

1.  Visit nursing homes, volunteer at potential nursing homes you will use
2.  Always have a permanent marker!!! You will have to label things. Sometimes I would buy things on the way to nursing home to visit and would forget to label the items so I kept a permanent marker in her room. 
3.  Buying items for nursing home (we bought a TV, small fridge and chair for my mom) should be an acceptable expenditure. SAVE RECEIPTS
4.  Know their protocol for:
      1)  When they hit another resident or a resident hits them. My mom got sent out two rehab at       another location twice for hitting residents (I will go into detail on a blog about this)
      2) When medicine changes
      3)  When they fall or have an accident
      4) Will they allow hospice to take over when that time comes (I think most nursing homes do)
         

                                        

The most important thing I can tell you is to spend time with your loved one while they are healthy physically and especially mentally because time goes by so fast and once dementia sets in and takes hold there is no turning back.