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	Eldercare Help For The Self-Employed
	Article 5: How To Prepare For Eldercare Too often when people are thrust into the role of caregiver, they panic. What they should have done is prepare. Barbara Mascio, owner of Senior Approved Services, a referral organization for products, resources and services, described a typical call from someone who suddenly becomes a caregiver. “When somebody calls here . . . they have just been told that mom’s going home at 3 and by the way she can’t be left alone at home and needs 24-hour care,” Mascio explains. “So, I’m getting this frantic call; they are looking for a home-care service immediately overnight.” If that moment has yet to arrive for you, there’s time to prepare. The first step is to understand the person you will care for. “What we try to do is get the family to start looking at mom as a whole human being,” Mascio says. Senior care-giving experts recommend some steps to make painless and efficient that day when you become a caregiver: Go beyond physical needs. Determine your parents’ preferences and desires. What are their hobbies, interests, fears, occupational background, social networks? Placement, whenever possible, should consider these factors. Consult certified financial and legal advisors with experience in eldercare. “My biggest advice is to get all your paperwork in order,” says self-employed California real estate agent Cheryl Coleman. She anticipated her out-of-state parents’ need and was able to more efficiently find them suitable accommodations near her home. Waiting too long can rush decision-making, and elderly relatives may develop dementia rendering them incapable of authorizing or helping in the management of their personal affairs. Among documents to have in place are: a will, a trust to avoid costly and lengthy probate, powers of attorney identifying who may make financial and health care decisions if the person is incapable, written instructions on the type of life-supporting medical care desired, and whether and under what circumstances it should be provided. Plan for all contingencies, but be adaptable. “You really have to remain flexible and open to the changes,” says Barbara Comiskey, owner of Comiskey Communications, which organizes and manages educational senior fairs and caregiver workshops in Ohio. Comiskey experienced the ebb and flow of circumstances when caring for four parents, her own and her husband’s. “As they have become increasingly dependent upon us, our role has become bigger.”