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Released: June 04, 2010

Talk to relatives about caregiving before they need it

Source: Michelle Singletary, Washington Post (Free Registration)

Before my grandfather died of cancer, I helped my grandmother care for him in their home. For more than a decade, I managed health care and other financial issues for my disabled brother until his death. I also assisted with some of my grandmother’s financial affairs in the years leading up to her passing. I’m currently the trustee for an older aunt.

With this experience, you would think it would be easy to talk to yet another adult about his care. But it’s often not easy to get someone who has been living independently to open up, especially about finances.

Gathering the information my husband and I need to care for my father-in-law has been difficult. He is fiercely frugal and private. Everything we mention that he needs—a wheelchair or assistance with his daily living—is met with resistance because of the cost.

Read Full Article: Talk to relatives about caregiving before they need it