There are ways to make these tasks easier. It sometimes helps to simplify your life.
Managing Bills and Personal Finances with Memory Loss
If a person with memory loss waits too long to make changes, he or she may risk being taken advantage of. It is important that your hard-earned money is available to you when you need it. If you begin to struggle with managing bills and personal finances:
Talk to a trusted loved one or friend.
Make a list of where you have assets (e.g., banks, online stocks, security boxes).
Give a copy of the list to your loved one or friend and update as needed.
Consider having your bills paid automatically. If you need help with this process, talk to loved ones or trusted friends.
Managing Bills and Personal Finances with Memory Loss
There might come a time when you decide you need some assistance.
Please type the name and contact information for a trusted contact, someone who you would want to manage your bills and other finances.
What if I get lost?
If you are away from home, you can forget where you are going or even how to get home. Sometimes you can forget where you live or your phone number.
Being lost is scary for both the person who is lost and for the people who are trying to find that person. There are ways to decrease the worry about being lost.
What if I get lost?
Consider getting a medical alert or ID bracelet with your name and an emergency phone number on it. Do not put your own phone number on it. It might be best to put a number of someone local who could pick you up if needed.
Here is a website on how to obtain one: click here.
If you do not want an ID bracelet, consider carrying additional names and phone numbers outside of your wallet and on your person. Remember that wallets can get stolen.
What about driving with Memory Loss?
Everyone knows people who are good drivers and those who should probably have stopped driving a long time ago. Passing a state driving test does not always mean you are safe to drive. Driving tests do not check your memory.
What about driving with Memory Loss?
Willie talks about her experience with loved ones driving with memory loss.
I had two cousins and one, both of them went by themselves and one went into the garage and said he was going to change the oil in the car and he got in the car and took off. And he got lost. He didn’t know how to come back home, he couldn’t find his way back home. But he stayed within the state. But the other one, he got in his car and he found himself way out of state. He said, “I just couldn’t find my way back home”. But the GPS systems, on both cars, enabled the families to locate them.
Should I be driving?
No one wants to stop driving. There are simple things to make sure that you, your passengers, and your neighbors are safe when you drive. If people are concerned about my driving,
What if I start having problems remembering my pills
Medications can be an important part of staying healthy as you age. Remembering to take medications is a complicated task. Almost everyone has forgotten to take a pill, but with Alzheimer's or Memory Loss, it is a problem if you forget to take more and more of your medication.
People who can help
Sometimes, family members or friends can help. Think about your life and who could or may be willing to help you if you needed help with your memory.
Would they stop by your home to help? Would you move closer to them or even into their home? Who would they be?
Friends or family who could help at home:
Help in the home
You can try living in your home with a caregiver, spouse, or friend. A caregiver, homemaker, or home health aid is sometimes needed to help with day-to-day activities such as bathing, cooking, and cleaning.
You can expect to pay out of pocket or use Long term health insurance for homemakers. They can come for a couple of hours a day or stay all day, depending on your needs.
You can search for a home care assistant through the Home Care Association of America. Click here to search.
