Well, here we are. We are all living through an emergency that none of us could have foreseen or planned for. What do you do next?
First, take care of yourself. Prepare for the medical emergency that might hit.
- Make sure your health care proxy (HCP) is accessible if needed and talk to the agent you named in your proxy about how you would like to be treated if Covid-19 hits you.
- Talk to the person you have named in your Power of Attorney. That person may need to be doing things for you if you’re in the hospital or simply because you’re stuck at home.
Second, take care of those around you. While social distancing, consider reaching out with a phone call.
Third, stay connected with your community. Check out your community cable station, MVTV, by turning to your local cable channel, on Xfinity Channel 13, or by visiting their website, mvtv.org. The folks at your community cable station are dedicated to keeping you informed about the services and programs that will help you cope, and to keeping you in touch with the rest of your community.
If you need more information on this, you can contact me at (508) 860-1470 or abergeron@mirickoconnell.com. You may also find Frank and Mary’s YouTube channel to be a helpful resource, as I address many common issues facing seniors and their loved ones. All of my cable TV shows, educational seminars and 10-minute elder law Q&A Fireside Chats are available at youtube.com/elderlawfrankandmary.
Arthur P. Bergeron is an elder law attorney in the Trusts and Estates Group at Mirick O’Connell.