Susan watched her independent, self-reliant mother’s dementia progress until she and her siblings realized their mom could no longer manage alone. What followed was years of difficult decisions about care and finances.
“It’s alarming to realize your mother can’t take care of herself anymore,” Susan says. Caregiving became overwhelming fast — coordinating medical appointments, managing medications, monitoring spending, and preventing elder scams, all while she and her siblings held full-time jobs in different cities.
Five Steps for New Caregivers
- Secure finances immediately by monitoring spending and preventing fraud.
- Organize family communication through a designated committee and scheduled meetings, not ad-hoc group emails.
- Consult an attorney early regarding legal and paperwork requirements.
- Research senior housing options before urgent need arises.
- Prioritize your own health with resources like the American Medical Association’s Caregiver Self-Assessment.
Susan ultimately advocates for advance planning: she wouldn’t want her own children facing the unanswered questions her family encountered.
