The Chaperon: Strategies on Aging: Recent Episodes
The Chaperon podcast by Senior Advisors Plus
A tough decision must be made when a loved one needs higher or lower acuity of care. The Chaperon is here to provide you with resources and inspiration to help you make your next move. E-mail info@senioradvisorsplus.com with questions and comments.
In this episode, Tim discusses why paying for advice is often better than free advice. Contact Tim at info@senioradvisorsplus.com with any questions.
Adult day centers are growing in popularity, and in this podcast I explain what they are, how they can help, and ways to use them effectively. Contact me at info@senioradvisorsplus.com if you have any questions or want some additional help.
Music: www.bensound.com Produced by Senior Advisors Plus Email info@senioradvisorsplus.com if you have any questions
Outline:
The 7 Important Life Planning Documents
Power of Attorney - This person can pay your bills, make investment decisions, market and sell your house - Depending on how you want it written, it can become active immediately or based on certain criteria
Private Personal Information Profile - Power of attorney will thank you if you have one of these
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment – good if you have a life limiting condition, such as dementia and heart disease. Typically has four sections: - CPR this is the same as the Do Not Resuscitate (“DNR”) form. - Medical Interventions – life sustaining treatments - Antibiotics - Artificial nutrition – feeding tubes
Advanced Healthcare Directive – referenced when a patient cannot make his/her own decisions and is on life sustaining treatment. Typically composed of two parts: 1. Living will – important for describing what you want your end of life treatment to be. You want to consider what level of mental awareness and physical functioning is acceptable for doctors to continue to provide prolonging treatments. Give a copy to friends, family, your physician, hospital, and lawyer. Carry something in your wallet that says you have an advanced directive and who to call to access it. 2. Medical power of attorney – you appoint a person to fill in the gaps that your living will doesn’t address. A doctor may reference both your living will and your medical power of attorney to create the POLST form, if you haven’t done so already.
HIPAA release – for someone that you trust to get access to your medical records. - “The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows HIPAA-covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and business associates of covered entities) to use and disclose individually identifiable protected health information without an individual’s consent for treatment, payment and healthcare operations. In all cases, when individually identifiable protected health information needs to be disclosed, it must be limited to the ‘minimum necessary information’ to achieve the purpose for which the information is disclosed.” - May come in handy so that your medical power of attorney or agent can have access to information that gives him or her the information to make decisions about you if you’re incapacitated, to dispute a bill, or to discuss medical conditions with your doctor if you’re still lucid. - People also may give their lawyers permission, since their lawyer may have a copy of their living will.
Will or Living Trust - Will – gives directions on how to distribute assets after one dies, their estate will enter the probate process, by which a judge will give legal permission for assets to be distributed to heirs. - Living Trust – may reduce legal fees in the long-run, may have certain estate tax advantages, and mitigates the estate from going through probate.
End of Life Wishes - Talk with a funeral director to learn about your options and let you know the costs of each. - Write down instructions and share them with family members and include them in your will or trust. - Make sure you either prepay or have funds allocated to pay for your arrangements in your will or trust.