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“A Place for Mom” spokesperson Joan Lunden on how to plan and prepare to be a caregiver to your parents.
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Today baby boomers will spend more time caring for parents.
They did their kids my next guest as part of that -- which generation she's a working mother of seven and caregiver to her 93 year old mother.
Pardon me mother for nearly two decades Joan London with host of Good Morning America her new book.
Is chicken soup for the soul family care giving John welcome to show I didn't like you have that many kids I don't I was like.
How many chance let's round and round number -- -- have been.
It's really kind of a predicament that Americans have gotten themselves into these days is that a lot of people postpone having children.
And they find themselves usually they say the typical caregiver -- -- of 49 year old woman.
Who today has a job outside the home still has children at home.
Raising them through teenagers trying to finance them off to college or may be in their twenties coming back on the live.
And now they have to take on the care their parents who are living longer and longer and longer and they spent -- holiday and said.
Dipping into their own retirement savings in order take care of them I'm I'm living and I can tell you it's well areas say and living it tell us your personal story.
You know interestingly I I didn't realize until I sat down into the book that I think -- ever since I was in my early thirties.
Because I might have a brother who was had diabetes and have a lot of health problems because of it and I took care my -- my brother -- put them in the same Condo.
-- -- found that real quick that one electric bill is better than -- so I had the live together but it also meant that they could take care of each other.
And for years I just spent finance that but when my brother died about five years ago.
That I had to jump in and figure out my mom's life and I -- it's like so many Americans we don't plan ahead I'm here to say plan ahead.
We don't have that conversation.
It's that elephant sitting in the living room at every Thanksgiving dinner but we don't have a conversation.
I didn't have a plan in place and not find yourself saying okay I've got to sell a house sell the car.
Like where's her insurance does she have any money you know where do I find her place to -- -- have a talk with you were just describing where you get the kind of deet tails that you need he also say call in the experts.
Aren't -- at the very beginning I didn't do that and I vowed to do something to make sure that other people went down the right path.
And when I look back on and I think -- to buy a house like to start driving around town looking for house icon realtor.
You have to get expert advice because this is even more important because not only are you looking for please read the parent to live -- a media husband or wife.
-- taken out.
But you have to make sure that they're gonna at the level of care that they need so that's why I align myself with place for mom.
And it's a senior referral agencies the biggest one in the country they have the senior advisors and every major city.
And they know they do so much more they don't just find you a facility in good community that fits your parents' needs.
They start with what are your parents' needs and most.
Grown adults don't know that they're not living well let's talk about some of the questions that you do you have to keep in mind.
And one I might might husband went through this with his parents very difficult they had planned legal documents.
-- -- was attacks let me tell you I couldn't find anything -- might say my mom -- to driver's license honey I haven't been driving for years.
You need to get together all the legal documents you need to know where -- their bank.
And I'll tell you.
You better be signed on that account because otherwise you're gonna find that your -- pain persisted living.
They're Social Security checks are going to the bank and if you're not signed on it you can't get that money out.
You on a durable power of attorney for finances so you can carry on their business you want to durable power of attorney for.
For health and medical so that you can carry on the business there and one step further Aussie should have a at but released.
-- is that mandate that protect a lot -- make sure that all of your medical information is yours and doesn't go anywhere else.
Well the same thing holds true for your parents if you get a hit the released from the hospital in their doctors can actually released that information to you.
And everybody thinks that it's okay if you to settle a will in place.
A well happens after they passed away what you really need is you need a living will otherwise known as an advanced health care directive.
And haven't filling out you can download these on the Internet.
I don't get yourself an elderly lawyer I mean those are some of the other things that -- senior advisor -- tells a lot of steps -- you have to have everybody in the family on board.
John thanks for coming on because this is one of those top of the touches everybody's life.
-- really can't get beyond that and appreciate your coming -- telling us -- my pleasure nice being here great.
