I see many older adults living alone who have not completed their financial and medical powers of attorney or prepared a living will. This is dangerous especially as individuals pass the age of 85 when 50% will experience some sort of memory loss. If no family members are appointed to act for an individual and issues occur, the court may appoint a stranger, a non-family member, to take responsibility for the individual. This is an unfortunate situation because I always believe that family should be involved even if only to provide information. Some family members because of distance or personal responsibilities cannot provide care for the older adult; however they can be a wonderful source of historical and family information to support care of the individual if a professional is appointed to provide care.
Listen to Podcasts of The Caring Generation Radio Program
