October 26, 2009
HELP FROM THE SANDWICH GENERATION
We receive many calls from adult children who are struggling with the task of caring for their aging parents. Perhaps their parents have been in and out of the hospital and various nursing homes. Their parents may be losing their mental capacity, and may have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They may be suffering from Parkinson’s disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease. They may also have taken several falls, and may have sufferedfrom broken hips, etc. Their parents need more and more attention and help.
Caring for an older loved one can be a difficult task. It is even more difficult when we also have to take care of our own children. We are members of the “sandwich generation.” These sandwich generation members may feel guilty and stressed because, for the first time in their lives, they cannot do it all.
They want their parents to stay at home, for as long as possible, and would like to learn how to preserve and protect their parents’ assets for as long as possible. They would like to know how Medi-Cal benefits work to help pay for skilled nursing facilities, and how the Veterans Administration Aid & Attendance Benefit Program can help pay for in-home-care and the cost of assisted living facilities.
An elder law attorney can help the family do long term care planning for their older loved ones. The attorney can tell you what steps to take right now if you are caring for your parents and your own children; When you should call in family or friends to help you care for your parents; When you should call in an outside expert like a Geriatric Care Manager.
I am an elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA and lecturer. As author of The Alzheimer’s Legal Survival Kit and The Consumer’s Guide to Hospice Care, as well as The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Veterans Benefits, I help families deal with these issues.
I am available for your call during office hours or you can arrange an interview by emailing us at lawyoung1@gmail.com. You can also contact us through our website at http://www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com
I look forward to hearing from you so that we might help families in our area become better able to cope with all the stresses that being a “sandwich generation” caregiver leads to.
Michael J. Young
Attorney at Law