An increasing number of my clients are having to consider how best to provide medical, social, and psychological support for their aging parents. This complex responsibility, which can be daunting under the best of circumstances, is often made more challenging by dementia and related neurological issues.
In these situations my primary role as coach is to simply be present for my client and bear witness to their experience. (Caregiving is stressful, a truth we often fail to acknowledge.) But in some circumstances it's also helpful to refer them to appropriate resources, such as those identified below. While this list isn't intended to be comprehensive, hopefully it's a useful starting point, and I'll continue to update it.
Geriatric Care
A geriatric care manager (GCM) can help with physician and hospital visits, screen health care providers, handle insurance hassles.
- Aging Life Care Association (formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers)
- Why Hire a Geriatric Care Manager? (Jane Gross of The New York Times' New Old Age blog, which ran from 2008 through 2015)
- How to Care for Aging Parents: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues (Virginia Morris and Jennie Chin Hanson)
- Sage Eldercare Solutions (SF Bay Area)
Relocation Assistance
These providers help with a range of services related to a move: organizing and downsizing, selecting and scheduling movers, packing and unpacking, managing utilities, and staging a former residence for prospective buyers.
- National Association of Specialty and Senior Move Managers
- Home Again Transitions (New York)
- Gentle Transitions Special Relocation Services (California)
Neurological Issues
The Alzheimer’s Association offers a wide range of help, such as a Dementia and Driving Resource Center.
Power of Attorney
When a parent has dementia, obtaining a durable power of attorney insures that health care and financial decisions will not be delayed or obstructed. Note the importance of taking this step early, before it becomes necessary to go through the costly and time-consuming conservatorship process.
Mortality
Finally, our parents' decline inevitably triggers thoughts of mortality, and there are a number of books on the subject that can offer some consolation and help us prepare.
Photo by simpleinsomnia.