We get the call all the time.  "Help!  My mother is being discharged tomorrow and we need a caregiver to be at her home tomorrow!"  Or, "My mother almost burned her house down today.  We need someone in the next few days to come in and stay with her when we're not there."

Being unprepared for an elder care crisis can result in bad decisions, higher costs, and making an already difficult situation more stressful.  Below are some ways that you can plan ahead and start doing NOW.

1. Make sure you know your loved one’s date of birth and social security number.  You will need this to access many services.

2. Collect information about medical providers including your loved one’s physician and health insurance.

         3.  Make a list of all medications, dosage amounts, and instructions for taking them.

         4.  Make a list of the dates and results of all recent medical tests.

5. Complete health history including illness, injury, medical conditions, etc.

6. Learn as much as possible about the medical condition currently afflicting your loved one.  You can do this by researching the condition on the internet, in library reference books, or by contacting related organizations or associations for the disorder. 

7. Call a family meeting.  Try to get as many people as involved as possible from the very beginning.

8. Find out if your loved one has the proper legal tools and documents in place.  Has someone been appointed to make health care decisions in case of temporary or permanent disability?  Has the individual made clear his or her wishes for end of life care?  Have documents been organized such as a will, power of attorney, living will, etc?

9. Investigate your loved one’s health insurance.  Do they have the right coverage?  Are they eligible for Medicare or Medicaid benefits?  Do they have a long term care policy in place? 

10. Explore other financial resources such as assets, real estate, savings accounts, IRA’s, stocks and bonds, VA benefits, other government programs, private pension plans, CD’s, annuities, and investments.

11.  Small signs can mean big problems:

   - depression
   - poor eating habits
   - mood changes
   - chronic illness
   - short-term memory loss
   - difficulty with walking
   - recent car accidents
   - lack of exercise
   - more than one fall in a year
   - more than one hospitalization in a year