Talking To Your Loved Ones About Their Care
Advance Preparation

Be a Good Listener

By listening, you can learn the wants and needs of your loved one.

It is important for you to understand what is best for your loved one when it comes to long term care, so spend most of the conversation listening.  Your goal is to answer questions he or she might have and be able to provide insight on the topic.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Listen to his or her needs; what he or she is sharing is important.
  • Show respect.
  • Acknowledge your loved one's right to make choices.

Include Others in Decision-Making

There are other people who will be able to offer guidance on what kind of services your loved one will need and how to tap into community resources.

During the discussion, it is helpful to designate what is most important when it comes to your loved one's care.  That can include input from many different sources including your loved one, family members, his or her physician, spiritual advisor, close friends or neighbors. They may have an understanding of what type of care is necessary and some will be able to help determine what facilities can best meet your loved one's needs.  Some other good resources are:

* A list of state affiliates of AHCA is available on the Internet at www.ahca.org/who/pubstate.htm.

** CMS is the federal agency that administers the Medicare  and Medicaid programs.  More information is available at www.cms.gov.

*** AARP is the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older. Information can be found at www.aarp.org.

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