6 questions employees should ask their aging parents
August 21, 2013 8:15 PM
Discuss scenarios in advance
"A big question in caregiving situations is what would the parent want?" says Dennis Healy, vice president of sales with ARAG, a provider of group legal plans. "If the parent is incapacitated or overwhelmed like everyone else, it can be tough to know what that is. Talking about possible scenarios in advance can help ease stress and ensures that everyone knows the options." To help start the conversation, here are six questions you can encourage employees to ask their aging parents.
1. What is your financial situation?
"This includes knowing where checking and savings accounts are held, as well as if any financial planning has been done to deal with a long-term care situation," says Healy.
2. Do you have a durable power of attorney?
This document gives someone else decision-making power if the parent becomes incapacitated. Everyone needs to know who can write checks for your parent and who is responsible for paying bills and managing finances when it's needed.
3. Do you have a health care power of attorney?
Who will make medical decisions if the parent is unable to do so? Does that person know he or she is responsible and the preferences of the parent?
4. Do you have a living will?
Different from a health care power of attorney, this document spells out a person's wishes about medical and life-sustaining procedures. Who has been named? Does he or she know the parent's wishes?
5. Is there a plan in case you become incapacitated?
Does the parent have preferences on where he or she will go? Has any financial planning been done to manage this possibility?
6. Is there a will?
While this can be one of the toughest questions a person asks a parent, simply knowing where it is located and who is responsible for managing the estate can save everyone some stress.
