Coming Closer

PHILOSOPHY

  • There is a natural tendency in humans to avoid uncomfortable moments. This can prevent putting strategies in place that make day-to-day operations of a home and family run more smoothly.
  • Coming closer starts when the members of the home reach a level of acceptance of a diagnosis and any limitations that it may create.
  • Coming closer affects every area of life together with the goal of maintaining self-worth and independence, while achieving the four cornerstones of the practice at MMC – calm, clean, safe, and loved.

WAYS TO COME CLOSER

Finances

  • Determine Financial Power of Attorney and create legal documents.
  • Inventory and organize all documents related to assets and liabilities, including accounts at financial institutions and insurance brokers.
  • Discuss long-term care intentions and meet with a financial planner to review options if there are none in place.
  • Document and securely store bank account numbers, credit card accounts, websites usernames and passwords.
  • Pay bills and manage finances with someone else so that more than one person can take charge of financial affairs if necessary. This could be a wonderful opportunity to involve other family members, such as a son or daughter.

Health care management

  • Determine Health Care Power of Attorney and create legal documents.
  • Attend all medical appointments with another person to help with understanding discussions and directions from the provider.
  • Keep the Take Charge! binder updated.
  • Read the website document Medication Safety and follow the guidance provided.

Home management

  • Use a universal calendar located in a shared area to keep everyone on track with outings and appointments.
  • Spend time on Sunday evening reviewing activities for the week with discussions about who, what, where, when, and how.
  • Misplacing objects is a common problem and can lead to unnecessary frustration. Keep a basket by the door for important items like keys, glasses, wallets, purses, etc., and develop the habit of placing items there.
  • Develop a mantra to use when leaving the home to remember important items (e.g., “Phone, keys, wallet”).
  • Keep a notebook handy to jot down important information that would be easy to forget, such as planning a lunch out with a friend or a shopping list. Using the notebook can reduce tensions that arise when things are accidentally forgotten.
  • Break complex tasks into smaller steps and accomplish each one before moving on to the next. Include rest periods between each step.