BUILDING YOUR TEAM : PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO CONSIDER

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE

If your loved one is receiving money from Social Security, but cannot manage the funds themselves, a representative payee (Rep-Payee) can be appointed to handle benefits on their behalf. This role is separate from the trustee, who only manages funds within the trust. Often a family member or guardian serves as RepPayee, but there are organizations in every state who can serve as well.

CARE MANAGER

If your loved one requires additional care and support to live independently, has complex medical needs, or you want

there to be oversight of a residential facility or group home, consider engaging a care manager. Protocols can be established to check in weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Where needed, home healthcare services can be arranged and paid for by the trust. This role is filled by a professional and will work with your trustee to make sure that appropriate services and support are provided.

GROUP HOME

This is a hard topic for many families, where providing daily in-home support to a loved one has become a way of life. Often parents and families are concerned about the quality of care in group homes, or that they are abdicating their role as caregiver by encouraging a loved one to

move to a group home. Despite gut instincts to the contrary, a group home can provide a loved one with the most stability and freedom of any housing option. While nothing can replace mom and dad's care, giving your loved one the opportunity to live semi-independently, with peers, in a setting designed to ensure their safety, may be the best plan. Moreover, making this transition during the parents' lifetime, allows for insights to be shared with group home staff, and for parents to oversee the operation of the residence, to ensure it is a good fit.

Making this difficult choice earlier gives you the opportunity to be selective about your loved one's living situation, rather than having to find housing in a crisis, when parents aren't there to assist, and options may be limited. It allows your loved one to adapt, while you are there for support, and ensure a smooth transition.

YES, YOU DO NEED TO PLAN:

Hopefully, throughout this three-part series, some of the mystery, stress, and anxiety around planning for your loved one has been alleviated. Taking small steps, building the right team of advisors, and ensuring your team members are in frequent communication, will yield the best result.

Honest discussion with family members about what roles they want in the future, and how much responsibility is appropriate for them given their own obligations, will help determine where professionals will be needed. Working with legal and financial advisors experienced in serving the special needs community will greatly reduce the stress of creating a plan that works. Tying all this together into a comprehensive care plan, that will guide future caregivers

and trustees in how best to support your loved one, will crystalize your hopes and lifetime of experience into an action plan. Let's get planning! •

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joshua Fishkind, J.D., MBA is the CEO and a co-founder of Hope Trust, a full-service care planning company dedicated to helping families plan for their loved one with special needs, provide daily care management and support, and administer special needs trusts.