This collection of articles for caregivers can help you improve your caregiving skills whether you’re a novice or have years of experience. Authors include medical and geriatric professionals, nursing home staff, government experts on aging as well as fellow caregivers. Be sure to check often for additions and updates.
Must Have Documents
Here is the essential paperwork every family should have in order to best handle a loved one’s short- and long-term needs and wishes.
Durable Power of Attorney: Provides a designated person control of legal and financial matters should the care recipient be unable or unwilling to handle such affairs.
Healthcare Proxy: Allows the designated person access to all medical information relating to the patient’s condition and, when necessary, to make medical decisions for the patient based on knowledge of the patient’s wishes.
Living Will: States the care recipient’s wishes under certain healthcare scenarios, especially end-of-life, eliminating confusion and questions as to the desire for certain treatments.
Will: Expresses the care recipient’s desires for the distribution of his or her estate—who gets what, how heirs get what’s bequeathed (directly or through a trust, for instance), and who is the estate’s executor (the person in charge of making sure all is handled as instructed).
Although not a legal document, all caregivers are advised to carry a record identifying the doctors, conditions and medications associated with the loved ones in their care so that the information is immediately available when meeting with new doctors or in case of emergency.
Article provided by Caring Today magazine and www.caringtoday.com