Caring For Aging Parents Is A Privilege

When we give birth to a child, that child is considered a gift.

It is a privilege to be a parent and to nurture that child and help them learn and discover the wonders of life.

Likewise, when our parents come to the last years of their lives, it may feel as if they become very childlike.

It can be a great privilege to care for aging parents in the same way they cared for you when you arrived.

They may have age-related dementia or full-blown Alzheimer’s. They may have a debilitating illness or physical limitations preventing them from doing the things they were used to doing.

I have a friend who was the caregiver for her mother during the last five months of her life. My friend told me how honored she felt to be in a position to live with her mother and be her caregiver. They were able to bond in a way they would not have otherwise done. She told me how fascinating it was to see this woman, her mother, who had once been so powerful and strong now so dependent on all of her children and others.

When you are young, it’s hard to imagine your parents as old and incapable of doing everything.

Some part of us seems to think our parents will be strong and live forever. But, our aging parents, if we are lucky, may give us the opportunity to tend to them as sweetly as they tended to us when we were 100% dependent on them. If you get the opportunity, I hope you’ll appreciate it for the privilege it is.

My friend told me that her mother, who lived many years after her dad passed, had every legal “i” dotted, and every “t” crossed. She made it easy for her children to fulfill her wishes after her passing. She had a plan in place that left nothing to the imagination and had assigned a power of attorney. I know all parents aren’t that easy. But it never hurts to begin a conversation before they are incapable of making important decisions about their estates and their long-term care needs at the end of their lives. This is just like the clients we are privileged to work with at The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm

Looking to find an experienced estate lawyer in the Georgia area who is skilled in asset protection and estate plan preparation? Shannon Pawley is an attorney in Georgia with expertise in estate planning and asset protection. Shannon can provide assistance with creating an estate plan to include making a will and how to establish a trust properly. If you have questions about asset protection or questions about making an estate plan, reach out to Shannon and she will be glad to help answer all the estate planning questions you might have!