Are you looking for ways to help the seniors in your family, neighborhood and community? Did you know that May is National Older Americans Month? In fact, this celebration of our Older Americans is to encourage communities, families and loved ones to get involved in learning about the issues that our Older Americans face as they age. Do you have senior loved ones in your family? Do you have neighbors who are seniors? This month think about how you could help the Older Americans in your life by using the ideas below.
1. Grocery shopping and meal planning for an Older American would be a great help. You could relieve stress for seniors with mobility issues, and provide nutritious food choices. Prepare easy-access finger-foods and pre-cooked multi-serving dishes can be helpful. Also, using plastic cups, plates and straws can reduce clean-up.
2. Doing the laundry would be invaluable to a senior. Also you could lay out loose-fitting, comfortable clothes. Suggest purchasing comfortable shoes and clothes with Velcro and large zippers that can help seniors adapt to temperature changes and varying weather.
3. Encourage seniors to maintain their dental care because a lapse in dental care for Older Americans could lead to complicated, and painful, health issues. Make sure seniors are brushing their teeth after every meal, and help them brush or keep their dentures clean if they need assistance. Talk to their dentist for more specific advice.
4. Medication management is a big issue for seniors. As we age, we often take much more medication than a younger person. This can become overwhelming, and even dangerous when handled improperly, for an Older American. Ask to take a look at prescriptions and help where you can.
5. Consider checking in on estate planning. While research tells us that less than half of all Americans have an estate plan, we often find that Older Americans are in the group who have created an estate plan. The key here is to make sure that it reflects what they truly want at this point in their lives. For example, do they have the person they want in place to make decisions about their finances or health care if they do not have the capacity to act for themselves?
6. Consider asking about long-term care plans. We know, as experienced Florida estate planning attorneys, that while many Older Americans have an estate plan they have not considered planning for long-term care. Consider talking to your aging loved ones about how they would pay for assistance in a long-term care facility if it was needed? Have they had a financial assessment of what they can afford? Do they have certain medical conditions they need to be planning for?
We know this article may raise more questions than it answers. At the end of the day, estate planning and elder law planning are not just for you. Instead, it is for the ones you love most. If we can answer any questions for you on putting this estate planning in place, please do not hesitate to let us know. For more information, please reach out to our office and schedule a time to meet.