What if one of your loved ones suddenly became ill or an aging parent ends up in the hospital?  Do you know what their wishes are?  Do you fully understand what the physicians are telling you?  Most certainly, the majority of people are overwhelmed and concerned, but really don't know where to go for answers that are not rushed, and in terms that they understand.When it comes to aging parents, any discussions about their healthcare and wishes can be difficult to talk about.  None of us want to consider getting sick, unable to care for themselves or even dying, but realistically, no one has found that fountain of youth and at one point, the end will arrive.  The goal is to have some degree of control by having your wishes outlined, so that if one does reach a point of not being able to express themselves, it is already taken care of.  This is a great peace of mind gift to give to your loved ones, as well as to yourself.A care manager, specializing in geriatrics, is an essential piece of the aging puzzle, often working with baby boomers or even the aging senior, to help develop a plan of care.  The plan may entail looking at home safety, services that are in place, as well as the current health status and potential future needs.  At the same time, a care manager can help with understanding physicians' information, as well as having the discussion of who pays for what.   One of the biggest surprises that I have found, is that people still believe that Medicare will pay for long term care.  Unfortunately not so, it is a type of health insurance and normally, health insurance does not cover long term or custodial care.  It never has.If you or your loved ones are looking for answers with your life planning, a geriatric care manager may be the biggest asset to your team of support in caring for aging parents/loved ones.   So consider the question now - "What if something happens to mom/dad?"   Are you prepared to answer that question now, instead of waiting for the crisis and having to ask "What Now"??Cheryl A. Acres RN, CCMwww.txcasemanager.com ...read more