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Lost and Needing Direction? Is It Time for a Road Map

By Gail Glockhoff-Long
GolderCare Solutions
Benefits Advocate

Years ago, before cell phone google maps, my husband and I were in Washington, D.C. After the conference and touring DC, we headed to Williamsburg, VA to visit his elderly relative. We made the mistake of leaving town on Thanksgiving Wednesday afternoon. Everyone and their brother was driving. We had our directions from cousin Eve.  It started off OK, then it progressed from slow traffic to gridlock. I pulled out the paper roadmap. We were on the most direct route,  but if we took the next exit there was an alternate route. Exit we did. Cruising along until it too became a gridlock. I had been tracking the map and already had an alternate route picked.  Had I not had a road map, we would have been a few hours late for dinner.

Navigating the roads of the aging process has similarities to navigating the concrete roads. There are the dangers of taking a wrong turn and ending up where you don’t want to be.

Is it time to consult the road map? I like to look at the paper map that gives me all the alternate routes and a big picture of how things fit together. My friend told us the road at LaCrosse was closed, take the Westby route. I check the map for details on the Westby route. Then I consult my phone for the fine tuning of turns.

So, what does this have to do with aging? Many people start with GolderCare when they are at the lost and needing direction point.  Do I go straight and cash out all of my savings to pay for my husband’s care, or do I turn right and preserve some for me to live on? Do we use the Long-Term Care insurance now and then apply for VA or do we use them together?  Do we apply for Medicaid now or wait until after the house is sold?  Do we cash-in the life insurance and lose all the death benefit to qualify for public benefits or is there another option? I googled assisted living facilities and found them north, south, east and west of my house.  Which direction do I go?  Taking the wrong turn could cost you thousands of dollars and a great deal of stress.

There is no printed or google roadmap for aging.  Unfortunately, asking friends for advice may lead you down a dead end. Many changes have been made to the Medicaid system post – COVID in both Iowa and Illinois which may make old advice inaccurate. You may not think you will need the road to Medicaid, but about 70% of those in Nursing Homes do at some point.

I had friends who made no plans for their vacation. They packed a suitcase, drove to the end of their street and decided to go left or right. They had no idea where they were going and just hoped they liked where they ended up. Sounds scary to me. They approached their aging process the same way.  No plan. It will all work out – they hoped.

Starting early and mapping out your next stage in life allows you to think about options and how to best use the assets you have to enjoy life now and feel more secure about your future.  If you are at the lost and needing direction point, working with GolderCare to map out the road ahead can help reduce your stress.

Gail is a Benefits Advocate and Insurance Specialist.  GolderCare has been assisting seniors in Iowa and Illinois with decision support, care management, placement and cost of care issues since 2008.