Finding What You Need
Gather round Sh*t S*sters and S*blings! Today I’m going to talk to you about eldercare resources.
The bad news: There are literally hundreds of local, state, federal, nonprofit and for profit options on eldercare to comb through, and they often conflict. (Reviewing a few dozen to remind myself the lay-of-the land gave me PTSD.) What they have in common are quid pro quo’s about your specific state and situation, and a lot of fear-mongering about everything that can go wrong (which in my experience only happens a quarter of the time, because usually you’re blindsided by something no one has warned you about yet).
If you have the means, hiring an elder care consultant and elder attorney is often money well spent to short cut your decisions and get paperwork in order. But! Don’t fret if that’s not an option, or not your inclination. You’ll just need to comb through the relevant topics until the recurring themes guide your next steps.
The good news: There are a lot of professionals and well-meaning people (like me) who have gone through eldercare sh*t and then shared their advice and experiences online. AND there are a lot of journalists who have written “listicle” articles to help narrow and point you to these resources and solutions. That means there is a TON OF FREE SH*T out there to leverage (beware the sites that suggest you need to pay or hire them).
The really good news: For the most part, the people who are working in eldercare are SAINTS. They get paid peanuts to do some of the hardest jobs out there. So if — hypothetically of course! — you are at the panicky start of your elder care journey, simply Googling your elder’s “county name + elder care” and then calling the number to the local department of Senior and Long Term Care Services will get the ball rolling just fine.
My biggest piece of advice: Being kind, being curious, and never taking ‘no’ for an answer will get you a LONG way in your eldercare inquiries and education.