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It’s time to have “the talk”.

Posted on: Jan 22, 2015

finNo, not the birds and the bees. But this one may be just as uncomfortable for some people. We’re talking money. How much do you know about your parents’ finances? Important documents? Insurance policies? Now is the time to get organized so that you can be ready in the event of an emergency.

“It’s important for seniors to talk to adult children. They should know where documents are, funeral wishes, home deeds, banks, and insurance policies, at least,” says Lisa Rubin-Wallack, Director of Social Services at PPh. She handles a lot of these situations and says it can cause a lot of stress and financial problems when adult children know nothing about their parents finances. In extreme cases, families have to hire forensic accountants to help uncover finances.

You can start the conversation by asking your parents, ”if something happened to you, how would we know what to do?” Yes. It can be an uncomfortable situation for both sides. Be sensitive to privacy, but you have to be direct because its need-to-know information. If you don’t think your parents will feel comfortable divulging too much, Lisa suggests making an appointment with an Elder Care lawyer or financial adviser.

To get started, here’s a list to get organized we found in the January 2015 AARP Bulletin:

Make sure a trusted family member has access to them or copies.

What Residents Say

"In my nine years at PPH, I’ve grown to like it very much. At first, I felt like a stranger and then as I began to talk to people, we increasingly became good friends. A way to meet people is to join clubs. I’m now part of the PPH Auxiliary. I love helping with their flea markets because you never know what you can find. Recently, I’ve joined an evening quilting class. I love that I can continue to enjoy my life outside of PPH while experiencing the offers here.…especially the pool! Everything is just so convenient.

– Lucille Hite, Independent Living resident

What Families Say

"My mom is sooo happy at PPH, I can’t even describe it in strong enough words. She’s met so many new friends and these ladies do EVERYTHING together! She sees Dad every day in Pathways, but can have her life too. She’s gone to so many activities and I think I’ve already been to Scoops with her at least 15 times. She loves the dining room and Bistro too. My sister, Ilene, and I are so delighted that Mom is happy.......Wow, it feels like Mom’s been there about 2 years—but it’s only 2 months!! That’s how comfortable and natural it feels for her – and for all of us.

– Rhonda Frenkel, daughter of resident Bernice Segal

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