Families are being encouraged to have conversations with ageing parents before a crisis forces them into care.
Age Concern Nelson Tasman manager Caroline Budge says they will get calls from families who say an elderly parent has had a fall, ended up in hospital and cannot go home, so what are their options?
She says families need to be having those conversations before a decision is forced upon them. Her comments are prompted by University of Otago research that revealed many New Zealanders were being moved into residential care at the direction of their GP or family members without meaningful discussions beforehand.
“You need to have those conversations when everyone is well. Don’t wait until a crisis or an accident happens. It’s about what the older parent wants to happen and it’s when everyone is clear and calm, so that no decision is being made in a hurry.
“Everyone needs a chance to have their say and the sooner the better. If someone has dementia, it’s too late.”
If an ageing parent has to suddenly go into residential care, she says it is a huge hurdle for them and can be very stressful.
“You can’t stop that happening, but it’s good to have talked about it so you know what they want to do if something happens. It’s an ongoing thing and not set in concrete.”
Caroline says families need to talk about whether ageing parents want to stay in their own home as long as possible, with more support as they get older, or go into aged care at a certain point. They also need to discuss legal aspects, including who will have enduring power of attorney. She says a booklet called My Advance Care Plan can be picked up from Te Whata Ora, GPs or Age Concern which families can work through and that raises the questions that need to be discussed.
While some families may leave conversations too late, Caroline says others are very proactive, from family members enquiring about residential care options once elderly parents reach that stage, to older people who want to know what they will do when they stop driving or can no longer tend their garden.
Meanwhile, the pension for those over 65 increased by 4.66 per cent on April 1, which is an increase of $71.08 a fortnight for couples and $46.20 a fortnight for a single person living alone. Depending on individual tax rates, couples will now receive just under $800 a week after tax, while a single person living alone will receive about $500 a week after tax. Caroline says any increase is good, though it does not match the cost-of-living increases.
“If you are renting, rent hasn’t gone down. Even if you are mortgage-free, there’s still housing costs to pay like insurance, rates and maintenance.
“If your sole income is the pension, it is going to be tough to make ends meet. A lot of our clients are living solely on the pension.”
