Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Both of my parents have been diagnosed with dementia in the last 18 months, and my dad moved to a care home. My advice to everyone with aging parents is to ensure they have power of attorney and personal directive documents prepared. These are essential when things start to deteriorate - you will need them for everything from medical decisions to dealing with banks and bills, taxes, etc. And the documents have to be prepared when they’re still sound of mind.
We had those documents in good order. An already incredibly difficult situation would have been much worse if we hadn’t. Couples typically cite the other spouse as the authorized party, but as in the case of my parents, both can lose their capacity for decision-making within a short period. Children need to be aware of and involved in these legal matters. It’s as important as a will.
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Make sure those documents are done early while the aging parents have the mental capacity to provide instructions.