Prepare Your Safety Net From A Position Of Security

Though most of us may remain healthy and energetic and may consider planning for infirmity or loneliness "negative thinking," none of us can predict our personal future or that of a loved one. Starting early to avoid problem areas can end up giving us ways to protect our property and maintain our well-being even as we lose our abilities or enter some type of elderly care setting, like a nursing home. It is much more pleasant to prepare for our future from a position of health and security than to wait for a crisis and make decisions in grief and haste.

Once someone is ill and hospitalized and making plans for further care, several issues affect his or her ability to make a smoother transition with less emotional and financial pain.

Health:
Taking steps to stay in good health is vital. Finding a physician and hospital you wish to entrust with your personal health is a good first step. Be aware of your overall health, your problem areas, and your future risks. Your physician will evaluate your diet and exercise needs as well as other influences on your health. It is never too late to begin an exercise program or to give up bad habits. By working with your physician, a dietician or a smoking cessation program, your years of living actively will be extended.

Another benefit of establishing an on-going relationship with a physician is his understanding of your attitude toward quality of life, your family ties, and your reactions to various medications. This insight will be very useful to both your doctor and your care should you one day become critically ill or be in a position of having to make life and death decisions. Making decisions about hospitalization or nursing home care with a doctor you just met will add to your indecision and anxiety.

Finance:
I cannot be too adamant in encouraging each of you to make aggressive efforts to become educated about your future assets, benefits, and various insurance coverages. Though Medicare is undergoing revisions in the area of health care coverage, this should in no way be seen as total relief from rising health costs. The ways to pay for nursing home, assisted living or private nursing care must be considered and planned for realistically. Financial assistance through retirement plans, insurance riders, and state programs should be obtained, read carefully, and understood. This can be confusing, but the security of understanding exactly what you have available is better than finding out you have been paying for duplicate coverage or didn't read the fine print and exclusions.

Legal issues:
Another part of the "safety net" of information you will want to put in place are legal assurances that your wishes are carried out and that personal property is both protected and available for your care when needed. A person who is not responsive or not competent due to ill health cannot initiate the legal documents necessary to allow a friend or family member to handle his or her affairs. The time to explore who is willing to make decisions for you, the benefits of a power of attorney, the implications of a 'living will,' and the need for a legal will is now, while you can make clear decisions and call on the advice of your family, attorney, or pastor.

Housing:
What housing alternatives would be acceptable and available to you should your independence be threatened by illness, disability, or loss of income? Visit locations in your community and make your plans known to your family. Safety, security, cost of upkeep, accessibility, types of residents who share the facility, and even geographic location are important considerations. Assuming that someone else will make a decision to your liking when the time comes is unfair to that "someone" and risky to your future peace of mind. Being informed about deposits, waiting lists, nursing standards and eligibility requirements will lead to a good feeling of control over difficult decisions.

Hobbies and interests:
Let's not forget to develop new interests or modify old interests to our new life-style. One of the most striking characteristics of the elderly who accept change with peace of mind is that they have remained interested in the world and its activities. Many seniors take up painting, corresponding with a pen pal, or repairing lawnmowers long after they stop pushing one! And I know those who have passionate interests in reading, old movies, or telling jokes. These people, maybe unknowingly, have trained themselves to look toward the unknown, challenge themselves, and stay interested in gifts they can take with them to share and expand, whatever their health status or dwelling place.

Support systems:
This is a general term for friends, relatives, and resource persons you hope to have available to you when help is needed. This is an area we often neglect and assume we cannot develop or change in later years. Everyone should work hard at developing close relationships with persons of different ages. Older friends may not be around or be able to help in later life. If you don't know your neighbors or have lost touch with younger relatives, make an effort to initiate contact. Some patients rely on grandchildren, ministers, neighbors of all ages, former housekeepers, and secretaries. Most people are more than willing to help you if they have had a chance to get to know you before a crisis.

Making plans for your future in later years deserves the same attention, excitement and positive outlook you gave to choosing a college, planning for children, and your career. A safety net of information about health, finances and legalities while continuing to develop personal interests and friendships will support and sustain you through times of difficult decision making.