Senior Care: How do you know when it’s time to help your parents with their finances?
It’s often a case of learning that they’re struggling when it’s already too late to prevent financial issues, but there are signs you should look for to try to catch problems early. Having senior care can help you keep an eye out for any struggles they may be having.
Check Their Mail
If possible, look through their mail. If you see any late notices or disconnection notices, address them. Your mom or dad may be embarrassed, but it’s better to take care of overdue bills than to ignore them.
Work with them to organize their mail and make sure everything is paid in time. If your parents have a computer, tablet, or smartphone, set up a calendar with reminders. Include yourself on the reminders so that you get a message and can double-check that they’re taking care of things.
Look for Ways to Save Money
Look for ways they can save money on their regular expenses. If they pay for an unlimited plan on their cellphone and rarely use their data, it can be more affordable to drop to a cheaper plan. Also, drop a landline if they have cellphone coverage at home.
They get a full cable television line-up, but they only watch a few channels. It can save a lot of money by dropping cable TV and signing up for a streaming service instead. All they’ll need is the internet, and there are cost-effective plans for that, too.
Set Up Online Banking
Set up online banking for your parents if they don’t already use it. Teach them how it works and ask if they mind you logging in from time to time to make sure the account is okay.
You can log in and make sure there’s money to cover the bills they’re paying. Plus, you’ll be able to monitor outgoing funds to ensure they haven’t fallen victim to a scam.
Hire Senior Home Care Services to Help Them
Don’t put your parents at risk of financial failure. Make sure someone is available to them to ensure mail is appropriately sorted, bills are paid on time, and bank deposits clear when expected. If you’re unable to help, you can hire a senior home care aide to assist them with household bills and organization.
Arranging help with senior care or household management is easier than you might imagine. Call and talk to a senior care specialist. Go over the services that would benefit your parents and get prices. From there, you can schedule caregiver visits.
