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Elder Law or Other Attorney
An attorney can help navigate legal, financial and health care challenges, including disability coverage, long-term care planning, estate planning, asset protection, advance directives, care and facility costs and more.
Financial Planner or Certified Public Accountant( CPA)
A financial planner or CPA can conduct a comprehensive financial review, assess health care costs, create a plan to approach long-term care, navigate challenges like loss of income or insurance coverage, coordinate with legal professionals about wills, trusts and power of attorney and more.
Family, Friends and Other Care Partners
Family and friends can support by tapping into their own skills, and other care partners who are going or have gone through similar experiences can help you navigate your personal journey.
Financial Planning
+ Physical, occupational, speech or other therapies
Many people are concerned about the cost of health care, especially when living with a lifelong condition like Parkinson’ s. Over time, costs add up and new, sometimes unexpected, expenses can arise. When Parkinson’ s leads to early retirement or a care partner’ s absence from work, it can further affect the ability to make ends meet. Planning around finances— for both now and the future— is another part of care partnering.
Costs to Consider
The first step in financial planning is getting a handle on your current Parkinson’ s-related expenses while thinking about possible future costs. Some costs— like medical visit co-pays, medications and insurance premiums— will be constant throughout Parkinson’ s. Others, like therapy sessions or home modifications, might arise once or over a shorter period.
Potential Parkinson’ s-related expenses include:
+ Medical visits and medication co-pays
+ Health insurance premiums
+ Exercise and other Parkinson’ s-related classes
+ Disability, long-term care and / or life insurance premiums
+ Travel to and from doctor visits
+ Time off work or childcare needs for medical care or care partnering
+ Surgical procedures
+ Paid professional caregivers
+ Medical devices or equipment, such as a walker or wheelchair
+ Home modifications or moves
+ Long-term care expenses
Keep a spreadsheet or use an app to track and understand your average monthly care expenses. The goal isn’ t to monitor every single expense, but rather to get a general sense of how much care generally costs each month so you can budget.
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