Reply To: Aunt living across country, aging rapidly, no family nearby. Any suggestions?

#1044

geriatricmanager
Participant

Here are a few things you can work on:
1. Have her go to a doctor and get a complete physical and mental health evaluation to see if she is capable of taking care of herself, and talk to the doctor directly to discuss their findings and have them make recommendations.
2. Hire a Geriatric Care Specialist (also called Aging Life Care Specialist) in your aunt’s area to conduct an assessment of her living conditions. You can find one on http://www.aginglifecare.org.
3. Go out to visit her to evaluate her and see how realistic it is for her to move. A trial visit with her coming to see you might help you decide how realistic that possibility is.
4. A power of attorney is a good idea to help her with bill paying; also you could set up on-line bill payments for some bills.