Take Care of Yourself and Prepare Yourself, Help Needed

Helpful Highlights

• This segment is part of our larger Guide, Take Care of Yourself and Prepare Yourself, the Art of Anticipation.

• This is one of five points made in the larger Guide and specific to determining what happens when your loved one needs increased help.

Now we get down to activities of daily living and the practical tasks involved in helping your loved one remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. If and when your loved one can no longer do some (or many) of the things they used to be able to do - such as home maintenance, household chores, errands, personal care, even medical needs - how will they be supported? What are their preferences? This will help you anticipate who will be involved and what assistance they should provide.

• Do you do home modifications like installing grab bars, new flooring, a walk-in shower, or a rising recliner?

• Do you develop a daily to weekly schedule that involves you and other family members (possibly friends and neighbors) assisting them?

• Do you hire in-home help like companions, homemakers, or home health aides?

• Do you install home monitoring systems or get them a personal emergency response system?

• Do you consider moving them in with another family member, an independent living facility (ILF), or even an assisted living facility (ALF)?

No content in this app, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician; or any direct legal advice you receive from your lawyer or other qualified legal professionals; or direct advice from a licensed insurance broker or other qualified plan-payer professional.