It won’t be long until Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas are here. Some of you noticed last year that your parents were showing their age. Some of you noticed some forgetfulness. You have been watching them more this year. Now, as the holidays are approaching, you are planning for those family gatherings. You know you need to have a “talk,” and just like the awkward sex talk, talking to a parent about finances and needing care is hard.
You need to think about what you need to say and how to say it. For those of you who have siblings, you should all talk in advance. There are no magic words to say. Everyone has a different situation.
The things you need to know are:
- Do they have any legal documents in place? If so, where are they? If not, you should talk to them about getting started.
- Do they have any long-term care insurance?
- What would they want to do if they can’t care for themselves? What resources do they have to pay for care?
- Who do they want to make decisions for them?
