Adult Children Caregivers

While we don’t believe that anyone should panic, we do want to encourage anyone with older or immuno-compromised loved ones to be prepared.

The CDC is encouraging everyone to have extra food and supplies on hand, in the event of sudden closures or quarantines. Please take the time to check on any seniors or people in your life who are ill/disabled to see if they need help getting things together. 

Key items to gather include:

• Prescriptions and any over-the-counter medications
• Those with breathing problems should ensure that any devices they use (nebulizer, oxygen) are working properly and they have enough medication on hand to power any devices.
• A two-week supply of food
• Drinks with electrolytes in the event the flu or another illness is contracted
• Nutrition drinks such as Ensure for seniors
• Lysol, disinfecting agents, and anti-bacterial soap
• Extra toilet paper
• Pet food for at least two weeks
• Adult diapers, feminine products, and any other necessary supplies

Finally, it’s a wise idea to make copies of your loved one’s insurance cards and make sure that you can put your hands on any Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives that would allow you to legally communicate with doctors and make financial and medical decisions on your loved one’s behalf.

As I write this, there have been two cases of COVID-19 identified in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  One of the victims recently returned from a business trip to Milan, Italy, where the outbreak of COVID-19 has reached over 2500 cases.
 
The death toll in the U.S. as of the morning of March 4, 2020, is 9, and the number of identified cases is more than 100.
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My favorite hobby is reading and I try to combine my love of reading with my profession of estate planning.  The plots of some of my favorite books are about dysfunctional family relationships complicated by really bad estate planning!

Here are three books I recommend where siblings were torn apart by their parents’ bad estate planning choices.

The Nest

by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

The four siblings of the Plumb family - Leo, Melody, Beatrice, and Jack- are the beneficiaries of a trust fund they call “The Nest” left to them by their father. The terms of the trust provide that the trust assets will be distributed equally to the four siblings when the youngest, Melody, reaches age 40.

When the book begins, Melody is fast-approaching her 40^th birthday, and each of the siblings is anxiously awaiting the distribution that could solve their self-inflicted life problems.
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 Is It Time to Have a Conversation About Long-term Care with an Aging Parent?

Like many families, mine is scattered all over the United States.  Work and other commitments make it difficult to visit distant loved ones more than a few times a year.  When visiting, it is hard to gauge the health and safety of family members because they are often not going about their normal daily activities. 

A few years ago, while visiting my dad in Oregon, I noticed that there was something not quite right with him.  He was repeating himself and telling stories about his history that I was pretty sure were not true.
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There are not enough hours in the day – a familiar phrase I mutter to myself while trying to accomplish the items on my ever-expanding to-do list.  That phrase may really be true for those caring for a family member with disabilities. 

Although I haven’t found a way to add hours to my day, I have found ways to extend the time available for learning new things.  I’ve discovered that I can listen to podcasts and books while doing tasks that require my physical -but not necessarily my mental – presence. 

I listen to podcasts when I’m running, doing laundry or cooking, or while I’m wandering around Trader Joe’s picking up groceries.
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