CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 303-810-1816

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado – February 13, 2021

The Caring Generation®

Golden CO- Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation® podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, February 17, 2021, the topic is The Scary Truth About Guardianship and The Responsibilities of a Guardian for the Elderly.

During this podcast, Wilson shares experiences from her years as a guardian for the elderly and disabled so that adult children can avoid surprising situations. Wanting to do the right thing for an elderly parent can be a joyful experience when families get along. Challenging guardianship situations result when children disagree, or a history of potential abuse—financial or emotional—exists within a family.

The Scary Truth About Guardianship

Adult children who become a court-appointed guardian for an elderly parent may underestimate the seriousness and extent of their accepted responsibilities. Siblings may dislike the brother or sister appointed guardian because of disagreements about care for elderly parents or perceived favoritism. Brothers and sisters who hold grudges can make the life of the appointed guardian extremely difficult.

It's easy to empathize with friendships or work relationships that go bad when one person poisons a relationship that can't be repaired. Family relationships can be fractured when siblings misrepresent information to an elderly parent with dementia who cannot discern lies from the truth. In these situations, being the guardian for a parent can feel like a thankless responsibility.

The Responsibilities of a Guardian for the Elderly

The responsibilities of a guardian for the elderly include navigating difficult situations that may include:

• Managing or supervising in-home care that brothers or sisters attempt to sabotage because they don't believe that mom or dad needs help
• Moving a parent to a care community against their wishes and having the care staff side with your parent who believes that you are the evil guardian—that your brothers and sisters claim you to be
• Advocating for care with the healthcare system who are uneducated or biased against care for the elderly diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Searching for a geriatric psychiatrist or a geriatrician willing to prescribe medications for behaviors—instead of telling you that there are too many side effects or warnings because they are worried about liability
• Paying for mom and dad's care instead of saving their estate for the inheritance that your brother or sister expects to receive
• Negotiating with nursing home staff who change your parent's medications without asking you and then call to report health emergencies resulting from discontinued medications

The emotional aspects of caring for elderly parents and navigating relationships with family members and care providers can overshadow the good work that a family guardian does for a parent. In this podcast, Wilson shares tips and recommendations for family guardians that offer hope for managing difficult family or care situations.

Wilson releases a new podcast in The Caring Generation series every Wednesday, sharing conversations about aging, caregiving, and family relationships. The podcasts are available on Wilson's website and all major podcast sites. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care: How to Get Guardianship of a Parent and Taking Care of Elderly Parents, caregiver support, webinars, and speaking engagements is on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at 303-810-1816 or through the Contact Me page on her website.

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