To understand this it may be helpful to review Bower's five categories of caregiving.

Anticipatory caregiving, often practiced at a distance by adult children not residing with parents, is manifested by behaviors or decisions made on a basis of the "possible" needs of a parent. The decision of where to live by an adult child exemplifies this behavior which is intentionally not openly acknowledged or discussed.

Preventative caregiving involves more conscious supervision and is intended to prevent illness, injury, or deterioration. Preparing meals or modifying the environment may illustrate this.

Supervisory caregiving is most easily recognized as caregiving and is represented by the direct involvement of offspring on the parent's behalf, such as arranging for or checking up on the parent.

Instrumental caregiving, such as assisting, providing or doing for represents hand-on care and is the type of caregiving which has received the most research attention. Instrumental caregiving is observed when a parent is ill or disabled and its purpose is to maintain the physical integrity and health status of the parent.

Protective caregiving appears to be the most difficult and important type of care intended to protect the parent from the consequences of such that could not be prevented. This frequently focuses on parents' self-image rather than their physical well-being with attempts to insulate the elder from the awareness of being cared for and creates much stress. An example may include changing pharmacies or banks for convenience to protect a person from awareness of the limitations or meaning of a situation or an event.

Families and individuals who have made financial, legal, and residential plans may feel more confident and less burdened in their caregiving responsibilities than those who are faced with caregiving out of crisis. Some of these arrangements may include:

Durable Power of Attorney

Disability insurance

Updated wills

Health decision surrogate appointment

Advanced Directives

Living wills

Trusts

Guardianships

Conservatorship

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