I learned a few things over the years. Here are some of the top secrets of what you’ve got stop doing in order to master this caregiving thing: (If you missed the first 6 tips check out part 1 and part 2.)
Stop:
7. Taking too much risk (and risk your way to the poor house) with that “You can’t take it with you mentality or YOLO (you only live once as the millennials love to say these days.)
- What happens is that you’ll risk yourself to the poor house.
- This is not to say that you shouldn’t have fun and take respites see prior point # 6) but you need to be aware of what you need, what’s require and how carelessness impacts your present and ultimately your future.
- You may want to live all of your life now because you don’t want to be like grandma who never left the house. Just be aware of situations and circumstances. There are times for everything. Be mindful of what season of life that you are in and how that impacts what you do today and how the decisions you make will affect you and your family’s well-being.
8. Being underinsured (Or being over-insured)
- Knowing what your own personal health insurance coverage provides is important. There has been some major changes and with the new administration, you can expect that there will be more to come – and it may not be in your favor.
- Learn what type of coverage that your elder or loved one has and assess if they have what you need. Do you know what are the important requirements for insurance coverage for a sick person?
9. Saving too much (Wait what? Yes see below!)
- You need to enjoy life while you are living. Have you heard of that old saying “You can’t take it with you?” How many people go into the ground with the intention of I’ll take that vacation when I retire. Then they retire and find themselves home bound with a chronic ailment and filled with regret because they didn’t enjoy life while they were younger. (Ok this is a bit dramatic, but I’ve seen this happen firsthand.) So what’s the solution? Allow yourself to have some respite moments. If you have kids and/or are caring for an elder – take a trip and arrange for coverage. Burning the candle at both ends is not good for the people around you if you’re health is compromised. Trust me a break is necessary!
- Being too frugal will leave you strapped being experience less and life poor. A miserly existence can be miserable, but that doesn’t mean you should not save and use wisdom at all or do something completely outrageous.
This is the third post in a series of four. Stay tuned for the next installment.
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