For adult children with elderly parents, helping your parents prepare for the future can be as simple as helping them create the right legal documents. Many elderly parents are reluctant to create some of these documents because they believe that once they do they will lose certain rights. It’s important to always remember that your parents will always be able to choose what they do and not hand over control to someone else. This is especially true with powers of attorney which can always be made contingent to take effect only when certain circumstances arise. Here are a couple of the key eldercare documents your parents will need to create if they have not already done so.
1. Medical Directives
Sometimes known as living Wills, medical directives state your parent’s choices for medical care in detail. They can choose what kind of care they do or do not wish to receive. Though they must ensure that these documents comply with state laws on how they are created, all the medical choices detailed within them are strictly up to your parents to make.
2. Powers of Attorney
When you create a power of attorney you give someone else the ability to make decisions on your behalf. Typically, powers of attorney are divided into financial and healthcare powers, and they can be as broad or as limited as the person who creates them chooses. Powers of attorney can also be made to take effect at a later date or upon certain circumstances. These are known as “springing” powers, and they give elderly parents the ability to create a safety net without actually handing over any powers until the time comes.