Questions46-55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
A)LastJuly,JulieBaldocchi'smotherhadamassivestrokeandwasparalyzed.Baldocchisuddenlyhadtobecomeafamilycaregiver,somethingthatshewasn'tpreparedfor."Iwasflyingbytheseatofmypants,"saysBaldocchi,anemploymentspecialistinSanFrancisco.Bothofherparentsare83,andsheknewherfathercouldn'thandlehermother'scare.Thehospitalrecommendedputtinghermotherinanursinghome.Baldocchiwasn'twillingtodothat.Butmovingherbackintoherparents'homecreatedotherproblems.Baldocchi,48,ismarriedandlivesaboutamileawayfromherparents.Shehasafull-timejobandhasbackproblemsthatmakeitdifficultforhertolifthermother."Icouldn'tdoitall,"shesays."ButIdidn'tevenknowhowtofindhelp."
B)WithhelpfromtheFamilyCaregiverAlliance,sheeventuallyhiredalive-incaregiver."Butevenifyouplanintellectuallyandlegally,you'reneverreadyfortheemotionalimpact,"Baldocchisays.Inthefirsttwomonthsafterhermother'sstroke,shelostabout30poundsasstressmounted.Morethan42millionAmericansprovidefamilycaregivingforanadultwhoneedshelpwithdailyactivities,accordingtoa2009surveybytheAARP.Anadditional61.6millionprovidedatleastsomecareduringtheyear.Andmanyareunprepared.
C)Whilemanyparentslackanadvancecaredirective,it'sthemostbasicandimportantsteptheycantake.Thedirectiveincludesseveralparts,including:adurablepowerofattorney,whichgivessomeonelegalauthoritytomakefinancialdecisionsonanother'sbehalf;ahealthcareproxy,whichissimilartothepowerofattorney,exceptitallowssomeonetomakedecisionsregardingmedicaltreatment;andalivingwillthatoutlinesinstructionsforend-of-lifecare.(Forexample,parentscansayiftheywanttobekeptalivebyartificialmeasures.)"It'sinvaluableforthekids,becauseit'shardtomakethosedecisionsforaparent,"saysJenniferCona,anelder-lawattorneyatGenserDubowGenser&ConainMelville,N.Y.Anadvancecaredirectiveisthefirstlineofdefenseifasituationarises,saysKathleenKelly,executivedirectoroftheFamilyCaregiverAlliance,whichsupportsandeducatescaregivers.Withoutanadvancedirective,thefamilywillhavetopetitionthecourttobeappointedtheparent'slegalguardian,saysAgingCare.com.
D)It'simportantforfamiliestotalkaboutlong-termcaresotheadultchildrenknowtheirparents'preferences,wishesandgoals,saysLynnFeinberg,acaregivingexpertatAARP.Butifsnotaneasyconversation.Elderlyparentsaresometimessuspiciousoftheirchildren'sfinancialmotives,saysSusanJohn,afinancialplanneratFinancialFocusinWolfeboro,N.H.OneclientaskedJohntoholdafamilymeetingbecausetheyneededanintermediarytotalkaboutfinancialissues,shesays.Andwhentherearemanysiblings,thefamilydecisionscanbecomeathree-ringcircuswithmuchacrimony,saysAnn-MargaretCarrozza,anelder-lawattomeyinGlenCove,N.Y.Familieswhoneedinformationandhelpsortingoutdisagreementscancallonelder-lawattorneys,financialplanners,geriatriccaremanagersandcaregiversupportgroups.InFebruary,AARPsaiditwillofferitsmembersanewcaregivingsupportservicethroughfinancialservicesfirmOenworth.
E)Manyfamiliesareunpreparedforquickdecisions,especiallywhentheyfindoutthatMedicaredoesn'tpayforlong-termcare,Feinbergsays.Themediancostofayearinaprivateroomatanursinghomein2011was$77,745,accordingtoGenworth.AndonlythosewhohavespentmostoftheirassetscanqualifyforMedicaidtopayforthenursinghome.
F)Assistedlivingisanotheroption.Residentscanhavetheirownapartmenttomaintainsomeindependence.Butthefacilitiesgenerallyprovidepersonalcareservices,suchasmeals,housekeepingandassistancewithactivities.Still,it'snotcheap:Thenationalmediancostin2011was$39,135,accordingtoGenworth.Assistedlivingisn'tcoveredbyMedicaid.
G)Iftheyhaveachoice,atleast90%ofelderlyparentsprefertostayathomeaslongastheycan,accordingtoAARPresearch.Butiftheparentscannolongersafelyliveathome,itcanbehardforchildrentomovethemintoanadultcarefacility.Theremaybeanotheroption.Sometimesthehomecanbemodifiedsoaparentcanstaythere.Forexample,Baldoechiputinachairliftforhermother.Shealsoarrangedforahomecaregiver.
H)Familycaregiverstakeovermanyresponsibilities.Onemightmanageaparent'sfinances,whileanothersiblingwilltaketheparenttodoctors'appointmentsandshopping.Thosewhomoveinwithaparenttakeonasignificantandsustainedburdenofcare.JanWalkermovedintohermother'shomeinLeesburg,Fla.Afterhermother,whois83,hadfallen,shewasn'tabletogetaroundaswell.Walker,55,hasthreebrothers.Butsheistheonlydaughter,isdivorcedandhasnochildren."IalwaysknewthatthiswastherolethatIwouldhave,andIguessmymindwaspreparedforit,"saysWalker,whonowisafull-timecaregiverandworksfromhomeasatutorialinstructorforadigitalscrapbookingwebsite."Whenyougetintothetrenches,it'sliterallybaptismbyfire,"shesays."Newthingscomeup.It'snotjustaboutadvanceplanningforfinancesormedicalcare.It'severything,"shesays.
I)Carcgiversneedtoalsowatchtheirownhealth."Thereissuchathingascaregiverburnout,"Conasays.Amongfemalecaregivers50andolder,20%reportedsymptomsofdepression,accordingtoa2010studyonworkingcaregiversbyMetLife."It'sahardjob,"Walkersays."Butmostworthwhilethingsarehard.ShewasalwaysthereformewhenIneededahelpinghand.It'sonlynaturalthatIbehereforhernow."
46、Whenelderlyparentscannotliveathomesafely,theirchildrencanchangetheirhomeinsteadofsendingthemtoanadultcarefacility.
47、Totalkaboutlong-termcareisnoteasybecausesometimesagedparentsaresuspiciousoftheirchildren'sfinancialmotives.
48、Besidesadvanceplanningforfinancesormedicalcare,familycaregiverstakeovermanyotherresponsibilities.
49、Thedifferencebetweenadurablepowerofattorneyandahealthcareproxyisthatthelatterallowssomeonetomakedecisionsregardingmedicaltreatment.
50、Baldocehididnotwanttosendhermothertoanursinghome,butshehaddifficultytakingcareofher.
51、Over42millioncaregivershelpedanadultwitheverydayactivitiesintheUSAin2009.
52、Ifafamilyneedsinformationorhelptosortoutdisagreements,therearemanypeopletheycancallon.
53、Caregiversshouldpayattentiontotheirownhealth,ortheymaybumoutor.becomedepressed.
54、Onewillhavetopetitionthecourttobetheparent'slegalguardian,ifthereisnoadvancedirective.
55、Thenationalmediancostofassistedlivingin2011was$39,135anditisnotcoveredbyMedicaid.
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