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        Tips for Comfortably Retiring on a Fixed Income

Retiring Baby Boomers and Parental Care

Tips for Baby Boomers Who are Responsible for Parental Care

Baby Boomers becoming caregivers for one or both of their parents face a challenging and rewarding responsibility.  If you are in this group, you belong to a fast growing segment of the Baby Boomer population.  Elder care is difficult, but giving back support and love to your parents can create a special time that brings you closer.  Our mission is to make things easier for you by identifying resources to assist in this journey.

Some Sage Advice

As Baby Boomers ourselves who have been caregivers to parents that are now deceased, here is some seasoned wisdom:

• Recognize that your roles are switching - you are becoming the parent as they hand over more responsibility and authority over their lives to you.  The time will likely come when you have to make decisions for them.

• Sit down with your parent(s) and have a frank discussion about how they would like to spend their "golden years."

• Make sure your parent(s) have a Living Will, so that their wishes can be carried out as they approach death (e.g., do not resuscitate or unnecessarily extend life by artificial means).  Many hospitals will not let you make decisions for your parent(s) unless you are so appointed in a Living Will.

• As a related caregiver, you should have a notarized Power of Attorney that allows you to make decisions if your parent(s) are incapable of doing so.  It is also a good idea to become a joint account holder on their bank accounts and investments.  If your parents have a living trust, you should be named as successor trustee, so you can step in as financial manager if needed.

• If necessary, help them set up a system to ensure that bills are paid on time.

• If you are concerned about a parent's ability to continue driving, talk to their doctor or notify the local Department of Motor Vehicles (which may be able to require a driving test).

• Have a written list of all the medications your parent(s) use, including dosage.  Know how to contact their primary care physician.  Have copies of their insurance records.  This is very important information for emergency room personnel and hospitals.

• Discuss funeral and internment wishes with your parent(s).

• In a tactful way, help your parent(s) sort through their belongings.  Whom would they like to receive special items?  What can be gotten rid of?

• Make sure your parent(s) have a written, witnessed Will to avoid the messy, expensive and lengthy probate process.  Ideally, the primary caregiver should be the Executor of the Will.  Quicken WillMaker is an easy way to prepare a legal Will while working directly with your parent(s).  Attorneys often prepare Wills for an affordable fixed fee as well.

• Know where all important documents are.

• This is a precious time.  Include your parent(s) in activities and let them know everyday that you love them.

Elder Care Locator

Need help?  Eldercare Locator is a helpful service that puts you in touch with state, local and federal senior services organizations.  They can provide meals, transportation, training and in-home professional services to assist you as a caregiver or to help your parent(s) continue to live independently in the community.

What Benefits are Available to Help Caregivers and their Parent(s)?

BenefitsCheckUp.org is a free online service where Baby Boomers can identify and explore benefits to which they and their parent(s) are entitled.  A service of the National Council on Aging, it covers local, state and federal programs.  And you can find everything in one place!

You can apply for extra Medicare help and find programs that can help you pay for prescription drugs, health care, utilities, taxes and more.

A new site, Ask Medicare, provides information about Medicare, health care services, caregiver assistance sites and personal caregiver anecdotes.

Hospice

Hospice is a world-wide movement to help terminally-ill people die at home in comfort (pain free) and with dignity.  For those of you who have lost a loved one, you probably already know this is a wonderful organization and a great alternative to dying in a hospital. 

Hospice treats death as a natural part of life and encourages both patients and their families to share the experience in a nurturing, loving fashion.  It focuses on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family. No other medical care provides this type of patient care.
 

Find a Hospice near you.

Recommended Books

Recommended Websites

• ElderCareLink Directory - Links to sites with everything from senior housing to medical alarms.

• SeniorJournal.com - Senior Citizen News and Information Daily on the Web.

• Hospice Foundation of America - A good place to learn about Hospice and the services it offers.

• Caring Connections - A program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer and community engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life.

• HospiceNet.org - Good Website for patients and families facing life-threatening illness.

• GilbertGuide.com - Practical tools and sensitive advice for caregiving.

• Aging Parents and Elder Care - Advice for overcoming the challenges of parental care.  Good checklist for reference.

• Caring for your Parents - PBS online videos on this subject.

• GoldBamboo.com - Explore alternative and conventional medical information side-by-side.

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