Four Things to Do Before Your Parent Goes to a

Nursing Home

Ronnie Friedland, Care.com Contributor

1. Ask About Your Family History

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Ask questions about:

• Childhood

• Relationships

• Family history

2. Discuss End-of-Life Options

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• It's a painful and awkward discussion, but knowing your

parent's preferences as to end-of-life options -- such as

wishes regarding resuscitation efforts or feeding tube usage

-- will help you tremendously.

• Have this discussion and get your parent's preferences in

writing, in the form of a living will.

3. Choose a Facility For Your Parent

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• If you need to have your parent move to assisted living,

make sure there is an affiliated section where she can move

if her condition worsens.

• Facilities that offer both assisted living and options for

increased nursing care help make the transition easier if and

when assisted living no longer meets her needs.

• Many facilities have long waiting lists, but if your parent is in

that facility's assisted living section, then she will have

priority over people coming from a different setting.

5. Obtain Legal Powers if They

Should Become Incompetent

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Durable power of attorney

In order to make decisions on your parent's behalf, you will need what is called a power of attorney -- a document that allows your parent to appoint a person or organization to handle her affairs while she is unavailable or unable to do so. A "durable" power of attorney appoints someone to make decisions if an individual becomes mentally incompetent.

Social Security Administration account

Having authorization to deal with the Social Security Administration on your parent's behalf enables you to inform them of moves your parent makes, such as to an assisted living facility, nursing home or hospice. It also enables you to obtain information about your parent's account and to deposit her social security checks -- though arranging for direct deposit into your parent's bank account can eliminate this latter task. For more information about this, call 1-800-772-1213.

Bank and investment accounts

Power to handle bank accounts can be obtained by going to the bank with your still-lucid parent and adding your name to his/her account(s). Or, if your parent calls the bank or investment service from his/her home phone, she/he can request a form that adds your name to the account, enabling you to access it on your parent's behalf. You and your parent will both need to sign the form, which may need to be notarized.

Learn More

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Read Five Things to Do Before Your Parent Goes

to a Nursing Home here:

http://www.care.com/senior-care-five-things-to-do-

before-your-parent-goes-to-a-nursing-home-

p1017-q14830.html

Want to learn more about senior care and families?

Go here:

http://www.care.com/senior-care-articles-resources-

p1023.html