In any given year more than 65 million people provide care for chronically ill, disabled, or aging family members. Many of these caregivers are children taking care of their aging parents. This often involves managing health care needs, including finding doctors, getting to appointments, and navigating health insurance.
John Drescher in his article Three Things I Learned Taking Care of My Elderly Parents, shares the following lessons.
- No single person in the health care system was in charge of managing and coordinating the treatment for each of my parents.
As John cared for his aging parents he found that he had to play the role of case manager. He was able to tell the doctors and nurses information about other treatments his parents were undergoing.
There are professionals who can help with case management for aging patients. Geriatric Care Managers, also known as Aging Life Care Professionals, can be hired to act as case managers for elderly patients. These professionals can also coordinate the medical and billing issues for patients and their families.
- The complexity of our system of health insurance is overwhelming.
John felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the health insurance system. He stated, “Reading and understanding a hospital bill is difficult for a person who is not fluent in the health care system and its procedures and language.”
At our firm we often meet with clients who feel overwhelmed. The eligibility rules for Medicaid and other government benefits are complicated and difficult to navigate. Our goal is to help our clients understand what benefits they are eligible for and how to successfully apply for those benefits.
- Health care professionals genuinely care about their patients.
John met with dozens of doctors over the course of caring for both of his aging parents. In all of those interactions, he only had one negative experience with a health care professional. Health care professionals spend years learning their craft and they dedicate their careers to helping people. We are grateful for their devotion to their patients and to us.
Elder Law Group PLLC Focuses On The Particular Needs of Seniors
Our firm offers legal services and guidance in the following areas:
- Asset Protection Estate Planning™
- Wills & Asset Protection Supplemental Needs Trusts
- Durable Powers of Attorney for Financial and Health Care
- Health Care Directives
- Medicaid Asset Preservation Strategies™
- Long-Term Care Planning
- Probate & Trust Administration
- Other Elder Law Issues
We invite you to learn more about our team here, and read what our clients have to say about us here.
Contact us or call (509) 468-0551 (Spokane office), or (509) 579-0206 (Tri-Cities office), for personal, compassionate guidance on the particular needs of seniors and their families.