Mary McHugh
Guest Contributor
In today’s share-everything culture, final years planning might seem like the last taboo. In an effort to avoid the topic, seniors and their adult children often do not take the necessary steps to plan for their final years of life, which include getting financial affairs in order and creating plans for care in case of declining health.
In fact, a new survey found that while 73 percent of seniors have a written will, only 13 percent have actually made plans for long-term care.
“When planning for their final years, many people go straight to making funeral arrangements and financial plans rather than taking time to prepare for care that might be necessary in the final years, months and days of life,” said Betsy Head, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care. “Unfortunately, many people do not consider that as we age, we need extra care. While the vast majority of seniors prefer to age at home, they may not realize the range of options available to them, and that this time in their lives requires planning, too.”
According to AARP, 90 percent of seniors would prefer to spend their final years at home. Despite this fact, Home Instead, Inc. found that only 74 percent of seniors have shared their wishes with their adult children.
Dr. Julie Masters, the chairperson of the department of gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, explains that one barrier to planning is the discomfort the conversation brings to seniors and their adult children.
“Final years planning can bring up a host of emotions for seniors and their adult children. These conversations, while difficult, can help people feel more prepared and empowered. They can also deliver a sense of relief for families, who already have the legal documents in place when the time comes to face those difficult decisions,” Masters said.
According to a Home Instead, Inc. survey, aging parents are far more comfortable discussing plans for their own final years (89 percent) than their own adult children are talking about their parents’ plans (68 percent).
Knowing plans are at least written, even in the absence of specific arrangements, creates emotional benefits of preparation, such as confidence and relief. Among adult children whose parents have written plans, knowing their parents have mapped out a plan makes them feel confident they are prepared for the future (48 percent), relieved that making these plans won’t be their sole responsibility (43 percent) and relieved to know their parents will have care when they need it (41 percent), according to the Home Instead, Inc. survey.
“Our hope is that we can equip aging adults and their families with the tools they need to plan for what may come in the later years of life. We want families to enjoy their time together while also being able to provide loved ones with the care they need,” explains Head.
Families can find program resources and information at www.ComposeYourLifeSong.com. Or, by contacting a local Home Instead Senior Care office for additional resources. Learn how their professional CAREGiversSM may be able to assist.