Lessen the Stress for Caregivers Through Effective Planning

One elder law consideration is lessening stress for caregivers.  As a caregiver, you have a lot of responsibilities and, likely, a lot of stress involved in caring for your elderly loved one.  If you are looking for a way to lessen the stress and give yourself a needed break, there are other care options available for your loved one.

You may want to consider enrolling your loved one in an adult day care center or a respite care center.  If you have any questions about other caregiver options, consult with a qualified elder law attorney.

Adult day care facilities

• Offer many different services such as meal planning, social activities and personal care services
• May include medical services such as physical therapy services or the administration of medications
• Aimed at providing structured care to the elderly
• Elders often uses these services on a regular basis

Respite care

• Caregivers are often family members, friends, or community members that are performing volunteer services
• Caregivers may also be hired through an agency
• Aimed at providing care and companionship to the elderly for short amounts of time
• This is very beneficial for occasional caregiver respite

Choosing the best facility

• Make sure each facility that you consider is clean, professional and knowledgeable
• Make sure that there are enough caregivers for all of the elders in the program
• Interview all possible candidates to make sure that they are loving, honest and reliable
• If you do not know the caregiver, ask for references
• Make sure that the caregiver that you choose is able to handle all responsibilities and able to handle all aspects of your loved one’s care

If you are caregiver who is in need of stress relief, consider using the services of other care facilities for your loved one.

If you have questions about choosing the right option for your loved one, consult with an experienced and qualified elder law attorney. He or she should be able to provide you with not only guidance on selecting the right care environment for your loved one, but also an understanding about and assistance with obtaining available public benefits (e.g., veterans, Medi-Cal) to assist in paying for care.

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Timothy P. Murphy

Timothy P. Murphy is an estate planning and elder law attorney whose practice emphasizes helping people to build, preserve and pass on their wealth. He works with his clients to accomplish their goals while avoiding unnecessary court proceedings and minimizing or eliminating exposure to death taxes.

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