If you are currently providing care for a spouse, parent, or child with special needs or recognize you may be in this role eventually someday, listen to this episode to learn best practices for making an action plan.

Step #1 - Make a list of who is willing, qualified, and able to help.

• These can be professionals, family members, neighbors, and friends.
• Consider how each person might be able to help the most.

Step # 2 - Understand the ask, needs, and time commitment

Be careful not to assume all the responsibility and attempt to do everything or to put too much on any one person, or you (or they) are very likely to experience burnout.

• You might be able to get more people to help if you can choose the right people or service providers for the right tasks
• Outline, for each member of your Support Network, exactly what their time commitment and responsibilities will need to be and get their commitment
• To relieve the burden on yourself and your Support Network, hire service providers for busywork
• Having a Support Network is wonderful, but it can quickly fall apart without consistent, positive, and constructive communication
• When stressed, it is natural to pull back or withdraw, focusing all energy on the issue on hand, or to divert all energy to other things, to ignore or avoid the issue completely
• As a key member of the Support Network, you should avoid this natural tendency to withdraw
• Your Support Network needs to be openly and constantly discussing issues, challenges, things that are going well, and things that might need to be reconsidered
• Your Support Network is your team, and they will perform at their best if they are not confused or frustrated and are encouraged to speak up, resulting in the highest likelihood of positive outcomes

Step #3- Understand the necessary legal documents needed

It's one thing to provide for your loved one's care, and it's another to be legally empowered with responsibility and authority.

Often overlooked until it is too late, there are a handful of documents that can grant you legal authority to carry out your duties when you step into the role of caregiver or care coordinator.

These are the Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy and Living Will, and Special Authorization with Medicare.