Consider the following scenario. Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago. Fortunately, mom has been able to serve as his caregiver and manage his general care needs and patiently guides him through his daily activities. One of their two adult children live locally. She and her husband visit periodically and assist with dad when available, but both work full-time jobs and spend most of their free time involved with their two young children who participate in multiple activities. The family anticipates that mom will continue to provide dad with his daily cares until his Alzheimer’s requires placement in the memory care unit at the nearby senior living facility. However, while performing her caregiving duties, mom falls and is transported to the hospital. The surgeon who repairs mom’s broken hip informs the family that she will be released from the hospital after a few days; however, mom will not be able to return home until she has completed a prescribed regimen of two to four week’s rehab at a local rehab facility. And, when she does return home, she will not physically be able to provide the same level of care to her husband as before. What do you do after the first responders, the doctors, the nurses, and the physical therapists have all performed their duties and your family still finds itself in a state of crisis?

Too often, families, like the one in the above scenario, are caught in a crisis because they fail to plan beyond dad’s diagnoses and care needs. While they always anticipated dad’s eventual move to a long-term care facility, they failed to establish a contingency plan if the initial plan was no longer viable. What do you do in the event of an emergency?

? Include all family members in the discussions and solutions.
? Immediately seek out a professional resource referral service.
? Learn to become an advocate for your loved one and for yourself.
? Develop a plan that includes immediate, mid-range, and long-term outcomes. ? Develop a contingency plan for any unexpected events.