Adult Children Dread Discussing Senior Living with Aging Parents

How often do you talk to your parents? Hopefully, they are still around. When you speak with your parents, have you had 'the talk' that most adult children dread? Maybe your parents had 'the talk' with you when you were younger. However, this discussion is not about the birds and the bees, but it's part of life.

Perhaps the most-dreaded topic of discussion that adult children have regarding their aging parents involves aging and long-term health care. Even parents in their 50s and 60s often are in denial about the consequences of aging and declining health. Older parents even more so. Depending on how old your parents may be, their perceived need for assisted living and long-term health care probably don't match reality. 

While this should be no surprise, the consequences of not planning for the costs and burdens of declining health and aging can cause a great stress on the family.

Consequences of Aging and Declining Health

 Long-term health care and the consequences of declining health will impact all of us at some point. Decisions are made that may not be well thought out nor to everyone's liking. Without an advanced plan, crisis management comes into play. 

Default family caregivers can't keep up, paid professional care is put in place, money is drained from savings, and even the quality of care can be impacted. It is in everyone's best interests to think about these issues well before getting older. 

Adult children have a significant role here since, without planning, they often find themselves as default caregivers despite being untrained and unprepared for a very demanding job. Encouraging parents over age 40 to start discussing their wishes and plans is essential for the entire family.

After Talking to Parents - Better Discuss Your Future Plans

Many adult children are already in the age bracket where they themselves should be designing their plan to safeguard income and assets, ensure quality care, and reduce the stress and anxiety on their children decades from now.

Long-term health care planning should be part of your overall retirement plan and put in place in your 50s at the latest. Affordable LTC Insurance will provide the resources for quality caregivers. But Long-Term Care Insurance does much more. The right policy will safeguard savings and income (401k, IRA, 403b), provide a choice of quality care options (in-home care, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, and nursing home), and ease the burdens otherwise placed on the family. 

Plus, many plans have case management, so a professional can help make recommendations and arrangements for care. Family members will have the time to be loving and supportive and not burdened with being a caregiver. 

Do they need care now? What do you do?

Finding Quality Care for Mom or Dad

Start by reading our four guides -  

• Finding Quality In-Home Care | LTC News
• Adult Day Care Centers (ADCCs) | LTC News
• Assisted Living and Memory Care Facilities | LTC News
• Finding a Quality Nursing Home | LTC News

LTC NEWS provides free assistance with no obligation to help you or a loved one complete the claims process with a Long-Term Care Insurance policy. We have teamed up with Amada Senior Care, who will do all the work, free with no obligation. 

You can also get support in finding quality caregivers and get recommendations for a proper care plan, whether a person has a policy or not. - Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim | LTC News. 

Think You're Too Young? Answer These Questions

 Do you think you are too young to think about long-term health care planning? Answer these questions:  

1. Are you working and saving money in a 401(k), 403(b), SEP, or other retirement plans?
2. Do you have assets over $100,000?
3. Do you want to avoid burdening your family?

 If the answer is yes to those questions, then you should learn about your options. Plus, many states have partnership plans that provide additional dollar-for-dollar asset protection. 

Start With a Discussion

Start with a discussion with your parents (if you are lucky enough to have them still around). Be sure they have a will, medical power of attorney, living will, and other essential documents in place. Discuss their wishes about long-term care and see if they own a Long-Term Care Insurance policy. If not, it might not be too late to learn about adding one to their planning.

Then start thinking about your future and your family. The better your health, the better your options are for planning. Don't allow a crisis situation to happen years from now when your adult children may have to dread making decisions about aging and long-term health care. An advance plan today will help you have a successful future retirement and allow you to enjoy peace of mind.