I read a post on Counsel Me blog
http://franticpharmacist.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-new-phase.html
It was about dealing with a aging parent(s) at a distance
I have a feeling I’ll be getting more insights over the next few months, but you know what? I think it will make me better at my job, and that’s a good thing.
It is a shame that no matter how “well educated” we are… generally our ability to be “better” healthcare professionals as we experience aging and “life” ourselves or that of a close loved one.
Working with our basic education and our degree… life can be its own multi-specialty “residency “.. that benefits not only us… but the pts that seek out our advice.
Filed under: General Problems
Advance Care Directives and Family Trusts with probate beaters are the best legal protections you can do to have the wishes of your loved ones protected. If you have sole power of attorney, you may wish to protect your financial future by amending it as necessary. For example: A person that is assigned to care for a parent if you the main assignee dies and that person dies before you one must come up with a alternate beneficiary to take charge of palliative and hospice if needed. That person or persons may be unwilling or too busy or don’t wish to be involved in that care. They may concider that a inconvenient issue. Or they are just indifferent, or they promise they will at say their mothers funeral and then just plain renige. That happened to me. They say ,” Oh, if you need help, just say so and we will be there for you.” Well, that became, “Good luck” . At that point, I went to the probate Atty. and had them completely removed from ANY say in my fathers care or as a contingent beneficiary. It may prove to be a mistake, but then again, I consider if they are too busy and their double digit millions put them in another social class, so be it.
Yes, it is wise to have a successor trustee – or two.. however.. it is equally unwise to have co-trustees… like two or multiple brothers or sisters as trustees.. you are just looking for creating a internal conflict within the family. This has been proven time and again… when people/families fail to realize this when the legal paperwork is put into place. When there is property and money involved… after a death.. you need a concise legal form as to what is going to who.. and one person carrying out those instructions
RE: Hospice care. Once the Dr determines one has a limited time left, and the hospital is not the way to go, a assignment is made to have home health care RN’s, (with prescriptive authority for CII Rx’s and monitoring) At 1st, this was seemingly good. However, this is for “comfort” and convenience. Depending on the persons resolve, they may dictate what is Tx and comfort. If for some reason, they concider the insulin a Tx not for comfort they may not cover it. Take care, these hospice companies are not all the same.
My sister and I are both pharmacists in a large family. We have dealt with this same issue when our grandparents health began to decline but both of us lived out of state from them. My aunt had legal and HC POA for both of them and lived close to them. My sister and I did what we could as far as advice with my aunt via phone and email for my grandparents til they passed. My aunt felt the pharmacist where they lived was just too busy to answer her questions. Difficult, yes, How often I wished I could have dropped everything and gone out there but personal circumstances were such that I couldn’t. My sister did go sometimes. It is difficult. We were grateful they had our aunt close and alot of support from their church. My parents and in laws are getting up there in age. I still live in the same town as them. I have accepted the fact that the care giving will fall on my shoulders as I am the oldest daughter.