Not many things are as difficult as watching your parent or grandparent become frail and lose their independence due to old age. Unfortunately, old age comes with its share of challenges. Depending on the age-related complications they are dealing with, the symptoms might start out subtle and progress with time.
As a loved one ages and loses their independence, you might want to designate someone to make day-to-day decisions on their behalf.
Understanding elder guardianship
An elder guardian is basically someone you designate to care for your aging folk’s health and financial affairs. As you can imagine, this role requires a lot of patience, integrity and empathy, but how do you know it is time to take this life-changing legal step?
Certain signs can help you determine when to appoint a guardian for your aging folk. Here are some of these signs:
- Their decision-making ability is getting compromised – to secure guardianship for your loved one, you must prove that their capacity is waning. For instance, they might be suffering from a degenerating condition like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and, thus, are having difficulty making financial, health and safety decisions.
- Evidence of undue influence – Due to reduced mobility, your aging parent might require help with everyday chores like taking their medications. For this reason, you might get someone to help care for them part-time. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for an unscrupulous caretaker to take advantage of your loved one and manipulate them to either gain access to their funds or will. In this case, it makes absolute sense to designate a guardian for your loved one.
When an aging parent or grandparent loses their ability to be independent for whatever reason, they need help. Find out how you can designate a legal guardian for your loved one.