Saving Mom & Dad...and You

Of all the issues we face, the biggest centers on our mortality: When and how will we die? Will we be among the lucky 10% who live life fully and then die suddenly? Or will be among the 90% who descend a staircase of diminishing capacity before we exit this world? This issue is so large that many people ignore it. For adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the immediacy of careers, marriage and childraising pushes notions of mortality into the background. Turning 50, however, changes many things. Mortality becomes more relevant to post-50 individuals as they see their own physical capabilities diminishing. And they see their once-vibrant parents diminishing before their eyes. We mortal beings face four long-term care choices as we contemplate the last years of our lives: 1) Get Lucky 2)Enjoy Your Success 3) Let Someone Else Worry 4) Let Someone Else Pay. Saving Mom & Dad...and You provides detailed financial and legal guidance on end-of-life planning for families of all socioeconomic levels. This includes comprehensive discussion for individuals with sufficiently good health and economic means to qualify for long-term care insurance. For individuals lacking economic means to pay for long-term care, Saving Mom and Dad...and You shows families how to preserve family assets and qualify for government assistance for nursing home care. US military veterans and their spouses receive detailed information to help them qualify for financial assistance to pay for in-home and assisted living care. Important emotional issues facing caregivers are detailed in Chapter 8 Barbara, the Good Daughter. As aging parents lose capabilities they become more willing to accept assistance from their children. Yet the changeover seldom goes smoothly. Mom and Dad request help yet protest the loss of control. Emotions eddy and swirl as responsible offspring step forward to support parents who vacillate between appreciation and resentment.