As a fulltime caregiver for an aging parent, I’ve learned the importance of having a solid plan in place for their care. Recently, I’ve come to realize that having a durable power of attorney and online access to household utilities is crucial for ensuring the well-being and safety of a parent.

One of the most significant challenges I’ve faced as a caregiver is navigating the complexities of my mom’s health and medical care. From her many appointments with specialists, endocrinologist, cardiologist, podiatrist, neurologist, primary care physician and a few more. To the dozen plus different medications and their potential side effects that she was actively supposed to be taking.

With all of these medications and doctor’s orders to manage, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of her medical needs and goals. A durable power of attorney can help alleviate some of this burden, allowing your parent (my mom) to appoint someone she trusts to make decisions on her behalf. I should ad prior to the strokes and physical disability mom had been diagnosed with dimentia and Alzheimer’s.

Having a durable power of attorney in place following my mom’s strokes was a life changer. I don’t know how much more difficult it would have been to request her long term care, making sure her appointments were confirmed, filing all of her insurance claims and that she was getting all of her meds.

Body Paragraph 2: In addition to having a durable power of attorney, online access to household utilities is also an abolsolute must for ensuring mom’s care is coordinated and efficient.

By having online access to her bills, appointments, and medication management, I was able to better manage her care and reduce the stress, risk of errors or oversights. I didn’t really understand how important it is to have online access to the power, cable and telephone bills and accounts. Imagine waking up one morning and all the utilities and services in the house have been shut off. Yes that’s happened to me an hour before a doctor’s appointment.

As a caregiver, it’s essential to be proactive and prepared for the unexpected. With the help of a durable power of attorney and online access to household utilities, My sister and I were better able to anticipate and respond to my mom’s needs, ensuring her care is seamless and uninterrupted. The ability to access all of the online accounts and understand when the bills were due and from which accounts they will be paid allowed us to manage her care with greater ease and confidence. This level of transparency and control provided us with peace of mind, knowing that mom’s needs are being met and her care is being coordinated effectively. Imagine going to your child’s school to pick them up and the school admin request you prove you are your child’s parent before you can pick them up. This is why you want to have the PoA in place well before you need one.

Conclusion: My mom’s unexpected series of strokes, which occurred only a month after signing a durable power of attorney, highlighted the importance of having a solid plan in place for her care. The insurance companies are more helpful with you on the phone when you have a durable power of attorney in place.

Despite her condition, I was able to leverage our durable power of attorney to ensure that her needs were being met, and that her care was being coordinated by a trusted team of healthcare professionals and family members.