Long-Distance Care for Aging Parents

DENVER — People on the leading edge of the baby boom generation turn 47 this year, and more of them are faced with the responsibility of caring for an older parent or relative.

This issue is compounded by the mobility of U.S. society, forcing many of these children of older parents to manage their parents’ affairs from a distance.

“A primary goal of many people in this situation of caring for an older person is to help the parent remain independent, staying in his or her home as long as possible,” said Jan Walsh, who specializes in retirement planning for the Denver-based College for Financial Planning.

Walsh said that whether you manage your parent’s affairs or merely assist in the process, it is important--particularly if there is some geographic distance involved --to have professional help. Although a financial planner can help organize the financial aspects of an older person’s life, the critical areas can also benefit from qualified advice and counsel. These include estate planning, incapacity and life care planning, Walsh said.

Some of the medical, estate and financial issues can be planned for by drawing up certain documents, including a durable power of attorney, a durable power of attorney with health care provisions, a health care proxy and a living will. The vehicles available to you will depend on your state law--which can vary significantly, Walsh cautioned.

“This is particularly true if you live, for example, in Los Angeles, and your parent lives in Miami. Your local attorney may have a perfectly good grasp of the ins and outs of California estate law, but may not be aware of some critical component of Florida law that governs your parents,” she said.

“The goal of the power of attorney with heath care provisions is to help manage the financial and medical care of an older person when he or she becomes unable to make decisions,” Walsh said. This legal tool allows a person to appoint an agent who is authorized to make financial and medical choices in cases of incapacity.

Walsh also recommends taking the time to find a lawyer who specializes in elder law to help with this planning effort. Areas of specialty you might ask your prospective attorney about include durable powers of attorney, wills, trusts, and Medicare and Medicaid planning.

In addition, there needs to be somebody on your team who understands health care issues, is knowledgeable about local services and resources for the elderly and can coordinate the day-to-day needs of the parent. A relatively new professional called a geriatric-care manager can help with these issues.

The care manager (some of whom are private, while others are connected to a hospital) will need some idea of the individual’s financial resources and the family situation, that is, the availability of help from family members, to define the potential solutions, Walsh said.

The ideal geriatric-care manager will coordinate the elderly person’s financial planner, attorney, doctor or family members to develop a plan of action. A typical mistake, for example, is to wait until an older person suffers an injury before thinking about these planning issues.

Often a care manager can begin the process with a family conference, to assist relatives in identifying issues and opening lines of communication. To start researching the process, the following telephone numbers may be of help:

* The National Assn. of Private Geriatric Care Managers, 602-881-8008.

* The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 602-881-4005.

* The U.S. Administration of Aging’s Elder Care Hotline, 1-800-677-1116.