Jacob Gordon
For families in financial transition, worrying about money can take over the time they spend together.
As our loved ones age, the once-routine tasks of paying bills and staying on top of their checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards and retirement accounts become more daunting than ever before. Falling behind on their mail emails causes more unease than it used to, and this can lead to feelings of ineptitude, exposure and despair.
Growing up as the oldest grandchild of elderly grandparents, I saw my grandparents struggle to acknowledge the new difficulties of aging as well as my parents struggle to maintain their own finances while attempting to manage those of their own parents. I witnessed the shame, stress and disappointment that come with not understanding things that used to be crystal clear, not understanding benefits that come from pensions, Medicaid and Medicare, and having to involve finances in everyday conversations with children.
When my father took the burden of Medicaid administration, bill-paying and personal finance management off the plate of his parents, they no longer had to worry about missing payments or decoding confusing insurance paperwork – he was able to quell their fear of financial ruin and they were able to enjoy their retirement and grandchildren.
My father and I understand just how relieving it can be to outsource the financial organization of one’s own family, because we have felt that very relief ourselves. By taking advantage of Community Medicaid, my grandmother Marion was able to live out the rest of her life comfortably in her own home while receiving the vital care she needed. My father and his siblings, as well as myself and my cousins, no longer had to worry about the state of her commode, nor her ability to afford her monthly maintenance for her apartment.
One of the toughest hurdles for seniors is properly managing their health insurance while also dealing with new or existing health issues. When paperwork for insurance is filed incorrectly and claims or coverage are denied, they are hurt and forced to start the paperwork all over. By managing our clients’ health insurance paperwork, we remove that hurdle from them and allow them to take advantage of their insurance and available assistance as much as possible.
We handle bookkeeping and filing so we can keep a watchful eye on our clients’ checkbooks and transaction history to ensure they are not subject to fraud or elder abuse. This also allows us to make sure that seniors who are on fixed incomes know what they have to spend and what spending they need to curb.
We also work in tandem with tax accounts, attorneys and financial advisors to maintain documentation, catalog assets and make their work easier. Having a neutral third party involved prevents abuse and theft while also eliminating the discomfort of discussing money with family members.
Your relationship with your parents does not have to include mail sorting or deciphering health insurance claims. Give them the comfort of spending their time with their families and let us handle the paperwork.