When creating a plan of care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) don’t forget to include your loved one in the planning process-not only for current care needs but particularly when making decisions for the future.
Long term care planning should include consideration for subjects such as;
1.Alternative housing-when more structured living environment is needed
2.Advanced care for daily needs-such as when to hire help
3.Financial planning-such as selling property
4.Legal considerations-such as power of attorney
5.Funeral arrangements
Although during the earlier stages of the disease, most of the above matters may seem like they are not high priority, many families report that putting a plan in action early on when their loved one could fully participate in the decisions, turned out to be very positive. When it came time to make important decisions, the family knew in advance full well just what their loved one’s choices were, leaving all the guess work and some of the guilt out of making difficult arrangements.
Be sure to implement a team of other close friends and family members who want to be involved in care planning. Enlisting more involvement upfront usually translates to having more able bodies to help when tasks start to pile up and the daily routine gets overwhelming. It’s important to communicate on a regular basis to update the plan when needed. Even if some family members don’t want to be involved in direct care, they can always be useful in other areas such as doing online research to find new resources when needed, or helping to run errands.
Keep in mind that part of the care team can include consultants when needed such as; legal and/or financial experts, physicians, nurses, accountants, social workers and more. If there are complex needs and issues that arise don’t hesitate to reach out and allow professionals to answer questions and help guide the planning process. An example would be consulting with a financial advisor to get advice on how to manage complex financial issues such as investments and other money management strategies.
Learn more about the needs of those with AD during various stages of the disease by signing up for our 25 lesson course today-CLICK HERE to join at AlzU.org.
