Preparing for the Future
Planning for the Future
Written by: Shari Flight, CDP, Owner & co-founder of Ember Holistic Care LLC
Planning for our future is something that is so necessary for our financial and personal well-being. Making sure that we have a financial plan for possible medical needs, and that our wishes and requests have been shared or put into writing in case we are ever deemed incapacitated, is so vital to assuring that we live out the final years of our life the way we want.
Unfortunately, this is not the case for most which frequently leaves caregivers responsible to make last-minute financial and health related decisions with minimal guidance. In an article by Charles Schwab, it shares that only 33% of Americans have a written financial plan. In another article by Legal Zoom they share that 30% of Americans do not know if their parents have a will, and 40% of Americans do not know what is in their parents will.
As owners of Ember, the first thing we do is meet with the caregivers of the person living with dementia to learn more about their loved one as a person, their social and health related goals, and any additional information that will assist us in providing them with the proper support. More often than not the caregiver and the person with dementia did not have discussions on planning for the inevitable aging process, so the caregiver is left to make some hefty decisions on their loved ones behalf. This type of situation can increase caregiver stress and burden, because they frequently have no prior knowledge of their loved one's finances, medical wishes, or who has been named the Durable Power of Attorney and/or Health Care Proxy.
Ember Holistic Care is looking to combat these statistics by providing caregivers with the educational tools they need to best assist their loved ones, but to also guide them in preparing for their own future. Having trouble navigating the aging process and dementia journey, we got you!
“An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.” Dale Carnegie
