Even a financial professional can be caught unprepared when life doesn’t go as planned. Here are five things I learned with my own parents … and that I wish I had known before it all started.

Leaving Home Is  Hard

My mother, while of sound mind and unrelenting determination, began falling frequently because of her multiple sclerosis. The 911 responders were becoming familiar visitors to their home, which only added to  our worry and sense of urgency to find a safer, more permanent solution. We knew  we had to begin looking  for a place for  them as soon as possible. But how do you find the right  place?  Everywhere seemed too expensive, too fancy or  too far away.

And once you move them to a new town, you need a new system of doctors, as well as transportation, drugstores and a new social support system. Concerns cascaded: How do you find the right caregivers and trust that they have your parents’ best interests at heart? How will you get them to the doctor once  they can no longer drive?

Concerns mounted, and there were few professionals or organizations to help back then. You could search the Internet, but the options were limited.

We relied on referrals from the family doctor, friends and co-workers. Then we searched the old-fashioned way: countless phone calls and interviews of staff members of the few assisted living centers in the area. We also tapped into the local senior citizens council. Finally, we found a place in a nearby suburb that seemed like the best alternative to their duplex. But it required my father to lose his home, garden and the companionship of his beloved cat.

The move completely changed his life — literally from one day to the next. That’s when his Alzheimer’s symptoms significantly worsened. He went from early-stage to mid-stage within a little over three months.  We were losing him fast, and it was terrifying. Before, we believed that nursing home care was at least five years away. Suddenly, it was the right here, right now.

Care Is Costly – Financially and Emotionally

Statistics say that three years is all you need in long-term care. My father was in full-time nursing care for a good solid six years. We spent almost $7,000 a month for both of my parents, $4,000 more than we had carefully planned for. I was familiar with long-term care planning, but I was not prepared for this.

As their child, you take it on because you love them and it’s what you want to do. I felt like, “I can’t begin to pay you back for what you did for me, so let me do this for you.”

That doesn’t mean they’re going to be OK with it.

Everything becomes a power struggle. My mother often said, “Remember, I am the mother.” And even though I knew she wasn’t in a position to be the mother, I had to bite my tongue. You have to learn how to communicate a completely different way. You can’t bark orders, but you can’t let things slide either, such as neglecting hygiene or not taking medication.

Repeatedly, I had to remind myself that I had to be the grown-up, and not the child, as much as I wanted to sometimes cry, stomp my feet and have it my way. Communicating with my mother was a balancing act of restraint and persistence.

Have a Conversation before the Crisis Hits

Planning for old age is a conversation no one wants to have, but take it from me, it’s something you need to do. Nobody wants to talk about when they’re going to die, but it’s not an “if.” Legal and financial considerations abound. Make a list.

Everyone should have at the very least a will, a health care power of attorney and a power of attorney for property. If your parents don’t have those, that’s a great way to start the conversation. Once this hurdle is crossed, ask to be introduced to the attorneys and be included in conversations.

Also, talk about catastrophic illness when you’re planning. No parent wants their kids burdened with picking up the pieces in the midst of a health crisis with no preparation whatsoever.

All roads lead eventually to financial preparedness. Talk about what will happen if the funds run out and care is still needed. Typically, when retired parents run out of money, they end up on Medicaid. If the kids have the ability, they pool their money to get their parents a nicer room at a Medicaid facility. They help pay for entertainment, clothes, maybe a short trip. Several of these facilities won’t kick them out once they are on Medicaid, but some will. It’s scary, because people are living longer as medical costs escalate, and not having enough money to be admitted to a facility really limits your options.

Coming to Peace – It Takes Time

Some advice I would have given myself on the outset of this journey is to pick the battles. Let your  parent have their choice as much as possible. They have a truth in their head — it doesn’t have to match yours. And they do need a little control.

Note:  Investment advisory services provided through TC Wealth Partners LLC, an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Trust services and retirement plan services are provided by the Trust Company of Illinois, a trust company chartered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content of this article is for guidance and information purposes only and is not intended to be construed as advice. Information provided is not intended to provide investment, tax or legal advice.