Senior Care News

Get Affairs in Order Before Elder Care is Needed in Houston, TX

Elder Care in Houston, TXYou spend much of your adult life taking care of children, paying a mortgage, and then saving for retirement. You plan ahead and the more attention that you give to your long-term needs, the easier it will generally be once you reach that milestone in your life. However, what about getting all of your affairs in order in case you reach a point where you need some form of elder care.

No one wants to really think about the bad things in life. However, if you have a life insurance policy, you were thinking about the prospect that you won’t be around forever and that your family could use a bit of a cushion in the event that your last day was any moment.

As we age, our body begins to break down. It’s usually a slow process and there is time to consider alternatives to help ensure that you have the best care and that you’re not placing an undue burden on your family.

However, what would you do, or what would your family do, if you had a stroke or heart attack or other sudden illness that left you unable to tend to your own care for any given length of time? Would all of your affairs be in order? Would your family know about your finances, insurance and other information? If not, then it’s time to get those affairs in order now.

  • Write down all of your bank account information, including the locations of the banks.
  • Keep your insurance information in one handy location. This should include any health and life insurance policies that you may have.
  • Gather the deeds to all your property, including your house, cars, and anything else you own.
  • If you have a loan, make sure that it’s clear how much is owed and who payments need to be made to.
  • Have your Social Security and Medicare numbers readily available.
  • Update your will and keep it in a safe place.
  • If you have a safety deposit box, make sure that you authorize someone you trust to access it in the event that you cannot do it yourself.
  • File a durable power of attorney. This would give someone you love and trust the ability to access money and other legal information and represent you in your absence.

The more that you prepare for the potential need for elder care, the more you’re going to make the process for the rest of your family that much easier to deal with if the time ever came that it was necessary.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care in Houston, TX contact the caregivers at At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.

Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Skip to content