Financial Concerns
Obtaining adequate financial coverage for care of a dying person can be difficult. Medicare regulations exclude supportive care except in a hospice program, which mostly provides services in the home. People with a prognosis of less than a few months to live may not be readily admitted to a nursing home. Information about coverage and regulations can be obtained from the doctor or from another health care professional, such as a medical social worker.
The family should investigate the cost of a family member's impending death. Family members often provide most of the care at the end of life for free, but they should explore how professional caregivers can help them so that the burdens are tolerable. There may be costs of giving up employment as well as expenses of drugs, home care, and travel. One study has shown that one third of families deplete most of their savings in caring for a dying relative. The family should talk openly about costs with the doctor, insisting on reasonable attention to costs and planning ahead to limit or prepare for them.
The planning of the dying person's estate is advisable. Although discussing property and financial issues is hard to do when death is impending, it is usually a good idea. Doing so often reveals things that could be signed or arranged by the dying person, easing the burden on the family.
| 
