题目内容：
根据下面资料，回答题 Caring for Elderly Parents Catches Many Unprepared
A．Last July, Julie Baldocchi's mother had a massive stroke and was paralyzed．Batdocchi suddenly hadto become a family caregiver, something that she wasn't prepared for．"I was flying by the seat of mypants," says Baldocchi, an employment specialist in San Francisco．Both of her parents are 83, and sheknew her father couldn't handle her mother's care．The hospital recommended putting her mother in anursing home．Baldocchi wasn't willing to do that．But moving her back into her parents' home createdother problems．Baldocchi, 48, is married and lives about a mile away from her parents．She has a full-time job and has back problems that make it difficult for her to lift her mother．"I couldn't do it all," shesays．"But I didn't even know how to find help."
B．With help from the Family Caregiver Alliance, she eventually hired a live-in caregiver．"But even if youplan intellectually and legally, you're never ready for the emotional impact," Baldocchi says．In the firsttwo months after her mother's stroke, she lost about 30 pounds as stress mounted．More than 42 millionAmericans provide family caregiving for an adult who needs help with daily activities, according to a2009 survey by the AARP．An additional 61.6 million provided at least some care during the year．Andmany are unprepared.
C．While many parents lack an advance care directive, it's the most basic and important step they can take．The directive includes several parts, including: a durable power of attorney, which gives someone legalauthority to make financial decisions on another's behalf; a health care proxy, which is similar to thepower of attorney, except it allows someone to make decisions regarding medical treatment; and a livingwill that outlines instructions for end-of-life care．(For example, parents can say if they want to be keptalive by artificial measures.) "It's invaluable for the kids, because it's hard to make those decisions fora parent," says Jennifer Cona, an elder law attorney at Genser Dubow Genser & Cona in Melville, N.Y.
An advance care directive is the first line of defense if a situation arises, says Kathleen Kelly, executivedirector of the Family Caregiver Alliance, which supports and educates caregivers．Without an advancedirective, the family will have to petition the court to be appointed the parent's legal guardian, saysAgingCare.com.
D．It's important for families to talk about long-term care so the adult children know their parents, preferences,wishes and goals, says Lynn Feinberg, a caregiving expert at AARP．But it's not an easy conversation.Elderly parents are sometimes suspicious of their children's financial motives, says Susan John, a financial
planner at Financial Focus in Wolfeboro, N.H．One client asked John to hold a family meeting because theyneeded an intermediary to talk about financial issues, she says．And when there are many siblings, the familydecisions can become a three-ring circus with much acrimony (尖刻), says Ann-Margaret Carrozza, an elderlaw attorney in Glen Cove, N.Y．Families who need information and help sorting out disagreements can callon elder-law attorneys, financial planners, geriatric (老人的) care managers and caregiver support groups．In February, AARP said it will offer its members a new caregiving support service through financialservices firm Genworth.
E) Many families are unprepared for quick decisions, especially when they find out that Medicare doesn'tpay for long-term care, Feinberg says．The median cost of a year in a private room at a nursing homein 2011 was $77,745, according to Genworth．And only those who have spent most of their assets canqualify for Medicaid to pay for the nursing home.
F) Assisted living is another option．Residents can have their own apartment to maintain someindependence．But the facilities generally provide personal care services, such as meals, housekeepingand assistance with activities．Still, it's not cheap: The national median cost in 2011 was $39,135,according to Genworth．Assisted living isn't covered by Medicaid.
G) If they have a choice, at least 90% of elderly parents prefer to stay at home as long as they can, accordingto AARP research．But if the parents can no longer safely live at home, it can be hard for children tomove them into an adult care facility．There may be another option．Sometimes the home can be modifiedso a parent can stay there．For example, Baldocchi put in a chair lift for her mother．She also arranged fora home caregiver.
H) Family caregivers take over many responsibilities．One might manage a parent's finances, while anothersibling will take the parent to doctors' appointments and shopping．Those who move in with a parent takeon a significant and sustained burden of care．Jan Walker moved into her mother's home in Leesburg,Fla．After her mother, who is 83, had fallen, she wasn't able to get around as well．Walker, 55, has three
brothers．But she is the only daughter, is divorced and has no children．"I always knew that this was therole that I would have, and I guess my mind was prepared for it," says Walker, who now is a full-timecaregiver and works from home as a tutorial instructor for a digital scrapbooking website．"When youget into the trenches, it's literally baptism by fire," she says．"New things come up．It's not just about
advance planning for finances or medical care．It's everything," she says.
I)Caregivers need to also watch their own health．"There is such a thing as caregiver burnout," Cona says．Among female caregivers 50 and older, 20% reported symptoms of depression, according to a 2010 studyon working caregivers by MetLife．"It's a hard job," Walker says．"But most worthwhile things are hard．She was always there for me when I needed a helping hand．It's only natural that I be here for her now."
In looking after old parents, even when one plans sensibly and lawfully, it's impossible to get ready forthe emotional influence.
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