Create the Care Plan Before the Crisis: How to Avoid Chaos When a Loved One Needs Care with Ashley Haruna

Most families think they'll know what to do if a loved one suddenly needs care.

The reality? Many don't discover the gaps in their plan until they're in the middle of a crisis.

Kelly spoke with Ashley Haruna, RN and founder of La Pearl Concierge, on the Steadfast Care Planning podcast to talk about what families often overlook when it comes to aging, caregiving, and planning ahead.

In our conversation, we discussed:
✅ Why having resources isn't the same as having a plan
✅ One of the biggest mistakes families make when a health event occurs
✅ How caregiving responsibilities can impact family relationships
✅ A simple mindset shift that can help families navigate difficult decisions with more confidence

One thing Ashley said really stood out to me: preparation isn't about predicting the future. It's about creating options before you need them.

If you're helping aging parents, supporting a spouse, or simply thinking ahead for your own future, this is a conversation worth listening to.

💡 Create the plan. Fund the plan. Share it with those you love. Your future self and your family will thank you.

For additional information about Kelly, check her out on Linkedin or www.SteadfastAgents.com.

To explore your options for long-term care insurance, click here.

Steadfast Care Planning podcast is made possible by AMADA Senior Care and Steadfast Insurance LLC.

Come back next time for more helpful guidance! 

Transcript

Kelly Augspurger [00:00:02]:
Hi everyone, welcome to Steadfast Care Planning, where we plan for care, to live well. Most families think they have a plan until something happens, and then suddenly they're making decisions in real time. "Who's coordinating care? Where is it happening? Who's stepping in day-to-day?" And the big one: "Who carries it all?" I'm Kelly Augspurger, long-term care insurance specialist and your guide. Today we're talking about something I see all the time. Families doing their best without a clear plan. And I brought in someone who lives this every day.

Kelly Augspurger [00:00:31]:
Ashley Haruna is a registered nurse and family care strategist and founder of La Perle Concierge. Ashley, I'm so glad you're here.

Ashley Haruna [00:00:40]:
Thank you, Kelly, for having me. I'm so glad to be here.

Kelly Augspurger [00:00:43]:
All right, Ashley, let's get started. So you've worked with families in the middle of this. Not when it's theoretical, but when it's real. So when there's no plan in place, Ashley, what does that actually look like for a family?

Ashley Haruna [00:00:55]:
When there's no plan in place, I'll give you a visual. It's almost like a family who is unprepared for a Category 4 hurricane. And I know that sounds exaggerated, but for a lot of families, it's really that dramatic because they're being flooded with so much information. We're hitting them with all this medical jargon. It's a whole new language that they're having to navigate now. They're navigating a whole new world while they're having to carry the emotional heaviness of watching their parents start to medically decline. They're holding all of that at one time. And without a plan, a lot of things get lost in the mix.

Kelly Augspurger [00:01:43]:
When do you see the moment when it really hits them, Ashley, where they're like, "Oof, we're not prepared for this."

Ashley Haruna [00:01:48]:
I actually have had the opportunity to be in the exact room when that moment hits families. When I was working in the hospital at the bedside as a nurse, that's when I see families get hit with it and they come to the realization, "We are not ready for this. We didn't talk about this. We didn't plan about this." And a lot of times it's the time that it even hits them in the hospital is when we have case managers coming in, and I'm coming in talking about a discharge plan.

Kelly Augspurger [00:02:23]:
Yes.

Ashley Haruna [00:02:24]:
Yeah. And that discharge plan is really just a nice way of saying, "Hey, you don't have to go home, but it's time for you to get out of here." And families are like, "Wait, what? It's time for us to leave? But so much has changed. What's going to happen? What's next?" That's when I typically see families getting hit with that realization that they're just...they're not ready.

Kelly Augspurger [00:02:45]:
That makes a lot of sense.

Kelly Augspurger [00:02:46]:
And at that point, there's not a lot of time to figure it out, is there, Ashley? Like if you're in the hospital and they're talking about a discharge plan, how long do families typically have? A couple of days, 48 hours?

Ashley Haruna [00:02:57]:
And it's almost not fair to families because for those of us that are in the healthcare system, we know that the discharge plan is starting as soon as you get in. As soon as somebody goes to the emergency room, we're already thinking, our mindset is, "How do we get them out of the hospital, back home, or back to wherever they need to go."

Kelly Augspurger [00:03:18]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:03:19]:
But unfortunately for families, by the time they come to the realization, we're letting them know, "Hey, you have 72 hours to find a place." We're realizing that your mom, your dad, they're working with physical therapy, and we're realizing that, "Hey, they're not able to make it home. So they either need to be at home with someone, or they need to go to rehab." And so it's a lot of they have to think on their feet so quickly.

Kelly Augspurger [00:03:46]:
And it's an emotionally charged experience and situation, isn't it? It's not just like, "Okay, yeah, let's logically think about this. Where is going to be best for mom, or dad?" No, because it's a very emotional event. And so making decisions in a high emotional situation, you might not make the best decision. Talking with your family ahead of time, "If something like this were to happen, where do you think we might want to go? What do you think is realistic?" So I think those are things that families probably need to talk about. And I know when situations like this happen, Ashley, there's typically one person that usually handles the bulk of it, and it's usually a daughter.

Kelly Augspurger [00:04:29]:
So why does that happen, Ashley? Why is a daughter usually the one that ends up handling a lot of this?

Ashley Haruna [00:04:35]:
To me, I think it's quite a fascinating phenomenon, don't you? What makes that happen? And even if it's not a daughter, it's usually one person. It seems like there's just one primary person. It's very rare for it to be like a team effort.

Kelly Augspurger [00:04:54]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:04:54]:
And I think that it typically falls on the daughter. I do want to give a little shout out to men because there are more and more sons that are supporting their parents in that way and taking charge. But I think that maybe it's society, a lot typically tends to fall on a woman. So I'll see it fall on the daughter. I'll see it fall on maybe the wife, or the daughter-in-law. And I think it's just because we naturally feel drawn to those types of roles. It's the same thing with child care. A lot of the primary care is done by the mom and I think that we just naturally feel like we're supposed to do it.

Ashley Haruna [00:05:38]:
And so that's why it typically falls on the daughter. The other thing is because they didn't have any conversations with their parents prior to this. Someone has to make the decisions. Someone has to make a hard decision and they have to make an educated guess as to what the best decision is for everyone. And a lot of times when siblings are not agreeing with the decisions being made, they tend to stop communicating. They tend to not want to be as involved anymore. I definitely think this is like a phenomenon that needs to be studied.

Kelly Augspurger [00:06:13]:
I agree. I think it is often, usually a female that ends up taking this role. But you're right, sometimes men do, too. Thank you for stepping up and handling the situation for your family members. What does it cost that person? So let's call them kind of the care manager. Essentially that's probably what they're going to be. Maybe they're actually going to physically help caregive, as well.

Kelly Augspurger [00:06:33]:
But what does it cost them? Not just financially, but personally.

Ashley Haruna [00:06:37]:
It costs them their peace of mind, their sleep, sometimes their job, their marriage, their professional goals, their personal goals, time for themselves. Financially it is a huge cost for sure, but there are a lot of other parts. It's almost like for some people, they kind of, they lose their entire identity around this role of caregiver. There's a lot that can be lost, especially if they don't have the support, they don't have the plan that they need in place to be able to secure what they've built for themselves.

Kelly Augspurger [00:07:12]:
I agree. I think there's a lot of guilt around bringing in help. So whether you're the son, or the daughter, or maybe even the spouse and your family member needs help, needs some assistance, needs care. The idea of, "Okay, I'm going to hire professionals to come in and help me," there could be some guilt there. So how do you help people and I think you mainly work with women, right? Most of the time, but also work with men. How do you help them reframe that, so it doesn't feel like they're failing if they do end up bringing in help?

Ashley Haruna [00:07:41]:
The way that I reframe it is I talk to them, and I find out, "Okay, what role do you want to play? Do you want to be a care manager in all of this, or are you looking to still be a daughter in this situation?" And the way that those lines kind of don't get blurred too much is by being able to bring in support, being able to bring in a team. And the last thing that we want is for her to burn out. And so no matter what, you're going to need a village. You're going to need a team. Just like with children, anything that has to do with caring for someone else, you need a team. No one person can do every single thing. So I let them know the feeling of, "I'm failing," the feeling of guilt is so common, and it's just part of the journey. And they just need to know that I push and let them know that every time you show up, there's no way you can fail if you're showing up.

Kelly Augspurger [00:08:42]:
That's beautiful. And maybe that is just a few hours a week. This doesn't necessarily even have to be every single day.

Ashley Haruna [00:08:48]:
Exactly.

Kelly Augspurger [00:08:49]:
Maybe it's, you're not even physically there, but you're on the phone, you're talking to doctors, you're coordinating care. You're stepping in, you're helping with meals, whatever it might be. I think anytime you show up, you need to feel good about that because you're loving, that's showing love to the person that you're caring for and helping in that way. So, Ashley, how does "delegating care well", what does that look like? So if someone is like, "Okay, I'm gonna have a team of people, and we're gonna do this together, so that means I can't do everything. I'm gonna have to delegate." What does that look like?

Ashley Haruna [00:09:19]:
So a lot of the women that I work with, they already are great delegators because that's what they do at work. They're managing at their jobs, they have teams. Maybe they even run their own business, and they have a team that they're delegating different tasks to. But strangely, when it comes to the care, managing the care of their parents, sometimes for some reason, they don't apply the same principles that they have within their job roles. So the right way to do it is for you to recognize what role you play in it. And so I let them know to view it as if they are...you said, "care manager."

Ashley Haruna [00:09:57]:
But I'll say, "You're the CEO of what is going on with your mom or your dad."

Kelly Augspurger [00:10:04]:
I love that.

Ashley Haruna [00:10:05]:
And then as the CEO, everything, of course, has to come through you. You're calling the shots. And I think that the way that you navigate the healthcare system changes once you put on that CEO hat, in that setting. So that means even at the doctor's office, because a lot of times I think they come in and they expect to be told what to do. But it would be awkward, you as a CEO showing up to your team and you're looking for them to tell you what to do.

Kelly Augspurger [00:10:31]:
That's right.

Ashley Haruna [00:10:31]:
So a lot of times, the doctor with the white coat, it could be a little intimidating. But when you go in there, you know your mom better than anybody else, and you know your parents better than anyone else. So you're really the CEO and you're delegating this particular task to that provider and you're saying, "Hey, you're the health care professional. This is the information I need. This is what I know of what's going on. This is what I've been tracking." I think that if they put on that CEO hat, then they're going to start delegating from that place and recognize that, "Oh, I'm the connector of all things. They really need me in order to provide the best care that they can give to my parent."

Kelly Augspurger [00:11:11]:
I love that analogy. Yes. CEO of the caregiving journey. You're the one that's in charge and helping to make these decisions. But delegating is important, which means you need a system and you need a team. And I know you're a big fan of having a system. You've created a fantastic, I would just call it workbook, I guess,

Kelly Augspurger [00:11:29]:
but guiding people through how to create a care plan, what needs to be considered. And there's so much in that care plan. So I highly encourage you all to get with Ashley and get ahold of her workbook, connect with her, get some one-on-one. But in that workbook, you are helping people get organized. You even have a section for medical information, medications, what kind of help do they need with activities of daily living.

Kelly Augspurger [00:11:56]:
The Steadfast Care Planning podcast is sponsored by Amada Senior Care, Amada provides complimentary consultations with a senior care advisor to help families find the right care from in-home caregiving to community care, along with long-term care insurance claim advocacy. When Jim Grisett's father, Francis, needed care, Amada stepped in to help the family navigate the process. Here's what Jim shared about his experience, "I didn't even know my dad had long-term care insurance. I started reading through it and didn't have a clue. Amada sorted everything out for me, explained everything and processed all the claims so my dad received all the benefits he was entitled to. They did a fantastic job for me. That's what true advocacy looks like." Amada also has unique support partnerships for agents, attorneys, financial advisors, and other professionals to address client claim support, family transitions, and generational retention. Learn more at: SteadfastWithAmada.com.

Kelly Augspurger [00:13:00]:
So when we think about having a system, what are families missing when they try to manage it all without a system?

Ashley Haruna [00:13:07]:
Families, what they're missing is, I know I keep saying this, but that peace of mind of just having a system in place. And of course you're still gonna get hit with surprises no matter what, that you can't predict every single thing. But I think that having systems allows you to find your footing. It allows you a moment to catch your breath. And that's the case because you have an idea of what potential things can occur. And when those things occur, you can take a moment to be like, "Okay, we have a plan for this. We're gonna move with this plan and it's gonna be a little hectic for a while. We're expecting it to be hectic for a little while."

Ashley Haruna [00:13:48]:
But then once we move through that plan and through that system, there's that little moment of peace. So the workbook that I created, I created it from a place of I was running a memory care home, taking care of 5 different residents who had Alzheimer's and dementia. All different stages, all different, all kinds of things happening. Some are in wheelchairs, some can walk, and some are on different diets, they're on different medications. So the fact that we were able to run that very smoothly with 5 different people all under one household, the secret behind it was the system that we had. Everyone knew what to do even when there was an emergency. They knew where to find the information if they didn't have it, if they didn't remember it, they knew where to find the information and they knew what steps to take next. And that gave me so much peace of mind because I wasn't always there 24-7.

Ashley Haruna [00:14:44]:
I delegated off to team members. So it gave me peace of mind that they know when to call me for certain situations, saying they know when to call me, they know what to do. And that gave me a lot of peace of mind. And I think families could benefit from that, too.

Kelly Augspurger [00:14:58]:
Oh, absolutely. So if people are listening and they're thinking, "Okay, Ashley, this sounds great. I'd love to have a system. This feels a little overwhelming." Where do they start?

Ashley Haruna [00:15:07]:
Anytime someone says they're overwhelmed, I can't help but put my health and wellness coach hat on, my nurse hat on, and say, "Hey, take 3 deep breaths." And I know that doesn't sound helpful to most people. I know, even me in certain situations, if somebody's telling me to take a breath, I'm like, "I don't have time." But Honestly, it takes 10, 15 seconds. Focus on your breath. Get to a place where you're calm, at least as calm as you can be after the 3 breaths. And then after that, I think that you can make a decision from a mindful place. And the next thing to do after that is to write down everything that's causing you anxiety, everything that's keeping you up at night. It doesn't have to be just about your parents.

Ashley Haruna [00:15:53]:
Everything that is causing you that overwhelm, you write it down. And a lot of times when you put it down on paper, it's like, "Oh, okay," you see what you're working with, and then from there, you prioritize maybe 3 of them. You bring 3 of them to the top of your list, and then you tackle it one at a time. I have a care clarity session that I offer, and that's really what we do during that session, we talk about everything that's stressing you out, and we find out what is at the top of your list. What are you worried about the most? What can you remove from that list that would ease that overwhelm just a little bit?

Kelly Augspurger [00:16:29]:
So it's a good place to start, right? Taking some deep breaths, which I think everybody gets overwhelmed in life at some point. So, yeah, taking a few deep breaths, and I think that's great. Write it down. What can we prioritize first? It makes a lot of sense. And with that, when you're writing it down, Ashley. And then, okay, now it's time to take action. I think that's probably where your workbook comes into play, right? It's like, okay, we know what we're struggling with, and we know these are the areas that we need to get organized. And now it's documenting it in an organized way.

Kelly Augspurger [00:17:00]:
Like, categorically. And then having it all together in one place. In a notebook, in a binder, whatever it might be. And then there's clarity there. It's like, "Okay, I have a question. Okay, let's go back to that binder, that workbook where all the information is."

Kelly Augspurger [00:17:18]:
So, "Okay, yeah, now we have it. It's right here. Here's the plan. Here are the contact people." And I imagine this stuff probably needs to be updated regularly, too.

Ashley Haruna [00:17:26]:
Absolutely. Absolutely it does. And it's up to you. So it just depends on the care journey that you want to go on. So I have that workbook there for people who are like, "I want to do it myself. I want to see the ins and outs of all of this."

Ashley Haruna [00:17:40]:
So they could do it themselves, or they could hire me. As I say, they're the CEO. I say, I am the COO. Operational.

Kelly Augspurger [00:17:50]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:17:50]:
So I do all operations. And so if you feel like it's too much to add to your plate to keep updating things and keeping up with every single appointment and making sure all the doctors know what the specialist said and if that is too much for you on your plate, you can hire somebody and delegate that task to someone, as well. It doesn't mean that you're stepping away. You're still at the top, you're still making the decisions, and everything is getting passed through you. But you don't have to carry all of it on your own, if you don't want to.

Kelly Augspurger [00:18:26]:
That's right.

Kelly Augspurger [00:18:26]:
It's essentially having employees. Like I've got people to help me, so I don't have to do everything myself as the owner and CEO of the business. And I think that hits home for me as a business owner. There's some conviction here, Ashley. I don't need to do all of it. I can have people help me.

Ashley Haruna [00:18:45]:
Exactly.

Kelly Augspurger [00:18:45]:
I think part of it, too, Ashley, is there's fear, and it's a control thing, like, "Okay, if I don't do all of this myself, because I feel confident in, I wanna make the decisions. I wanna make sure it goes smoothly. If I delegate that, fear of it might not go well." Like not having confidence that letting go is what's gonna be best for my family member that needs the care. So I imagine working with someone, if they're a professional and they know what they're doing, they understand the situation. They're gonna be probably better at this than I would. So I just need to loosen the reins.

Kelly Augspurger [00:19:23]:
And let them do their job. And then I am. I'm gonna have more free time. I'm gonna have probably more peace of mind. I'm gonna be less stressed. Again, I'm preaching to myself, Ashley, even as a business owner.

Ashley Haruna [00:19:33]:
I was gonna say that, I was like, "You're probably running into this already with your business, right?" Even with marketing, with editing, with all of it, you have to trust somebody to do it the right way. Of course, you're still gonna double check. So going back to what you were saying with the delegating, you're still going to double check. You're still going to make sure that the job is done well.

Kelly Augspurger [00:19:55]:
Right.

Ashley Haruna [00:19:55]:
You're still going to check in, you're still going to give instructions.

Ashley Haruna [00:19:59]:
You don't just completely let go. You're still playing a very crucial role. But as CEO, if you don't have time to go on that run, or that walk in the morning, are you going to show up as your best self? If you don't have time to really take care of yourself,

Ashley Haruna [00:20:16]:
are you going to really be able to show up for your team the way that they need you to show up for them?

Kelly Augspurger [00:20:20]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:20:21]:
And that's the same thing for your parents. Are you going to really be able to fully show up for them and catch those small things and move with a clear mind and a clear head when you're making decisions, if you're not getting any sleep at night.

Kelly Augspurger [00:20:36]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:20:36]:
Because you're trying to run your business and you're trying to run your parents care journey all at the same time.

Kelly Augspurger [00:20:43]:
It's too much.

Ashley Haruna [00:20:45]:
It's a lot. And your household.

Kelly Augspurger [00:20:47]:
Yeah, no, it's too much. I need some deep breaths myself right now, just thinking about it all. So, Ashley, what...so, okay, we know that we need a plan, we know we need a system. And I imagine it makes a big difference if you plan in advance versus, okay, you're in the situation, it's a crisis. So what changes when families start early? They're planning, they're talking about this, they're creating a plan before the family members in the hospital versus waiting until something happens.

Kelly Augspurger [00:21:16]:
And what options do they lose when they wait?

Ashley Haruna [00:21:18]:
So I'm going to bring us back to the hurricane analogy. The families that are ready for a hurricane, they have the boarded windows, they have the sandbags, they have an evacuation plan, they have a generator. They might be chilling and watching Netflix. While everyone else is sitting in the dark somewhere. That's what families are missing when they don't have that peace of mind. They don't have that comfort knowing that, "Okay, if this happens, we're going to do this, if the electricity goes out, we're going to use the generator." They don't have that kind of peace of mind.

Ashley Haruna [00:21:52]:
And so the things that they miss out on are like the services that you offer, Kelly, with the long-term care insurance, that is a huge one that they're missing out on because the options that you have when you have that kind of income to put towards care, they have so many options.

Kelly Augspurger [00:22:12]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:22:12]:
And so they miss out on that. They miss out on potentially being able to pass on their assets, their properties to their kids. They miss out on being able to protect that. They miss out on...there's so many things that they're missing out on. The other thing is, is that they miss out on a chance to have the time to make a plan. They miss out on the chance to be able to do their research on where they want to go.

Ashley Haruna [00:22:37]:
So we talked about the hospital and finding out that they have 3 days to find a facility, find a rehab, whatever it is that they have to find. Now that's not enough time to do research. That's not enough time to check out all the places you need to check out and really do your due diligence. And so when you don't have a plan, there's just...I mean, families break up over not having plans and it's really sad, especially with siblings. Like I have 4 brothers and sisters, there's 5 of us and I can't imagine us breaking up, not speaking to each other over something that we could have talked about beforehand. So, yeah, there's a lot to miss out on without a plan.

Kelly Augspurger [00:23:19]:
I've seen this with families where something happens and they didn't plan ahead. And now siblings are disagreeing and because of that situation, because they disagreed and they didn't like how things went down, families can break apart. And can you imagine, as a mom or dad, knowing that my kids, because something happened to me and we didn't have a plan in place, now my kids are fighting. They don't want to talk to each other because they're so mad. That's heartbreaking.

Kelly Augspurger [00:23:46]:
Nobody wants that for their family. And I know in your workbook you have Plan A, Plan B. It's not just one way. We got to have a backup plan. So why is that so important, Ashley, to have a backup plan, too?

Ashley Haruna [00:23:59]:
The reason why I really like doing the Plan A and Plan B is because I think that parents will enjoy talking about their Plan A, their ideal retirement, their ideal way of aging in place. Most people want that. But then there are some people who don't. There are some people who are like, "No, I need a community. I need to be involved. I need to be busy with my peers." And so I think Plan A is like a fun way of just saying, "What's your dream, the most ideal situation for you?" The plan B is important because life catches us off guard sometimes, right? So you might start off in your ideal situation where you're like, "Oh, yeah, I'm staying at home and I have a great companion who comes by, spends time with me, even cooks my meals for me, drives me from place to place." And for them that might be great.

Ashley Haruna [00:24:52]:
But then something happens, a health challenge occurs. And now you might need somebody there 24-7. But how much does that cost to have someone there 24-7? Let's just talk that out, right? That Plan B out. Plan B is just, "Okay, if something catches us off guard and there's a health condition and it requires you to need 24-7." I think a lot of times people should consider, "The plan that I have, if I have to have someone with me 24-7, will I be able to afford that?" And if so, even if you can afford it, how long can you afford it for?

Kelly Augspurger [00:25:32]:
Right.

Ashley Haruna [00:25:32]:
You know?

Kelly Augspurger [00:25:33]:
Right.

Ashley Haruna [00:25:33]:
That's important to talk about.

Kelly Augspurger [00:25:34]:
And some people, not very long at all. I mean, let's just realistically talk about these prices because I don't think people really realize, Ashley. Like, we're in Columbus, Ohio, so If you need 24-7 care at home, you're spending over $20K a month, right?

Ashley Haruna [00:25:48]:
Yes.

Kelly Augspurger [00:25:48]:
Yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:25:49]:
Yes.

Kelly Augspurger [00:25:49]:
And that's just for one person to help, not like if you need two caregivers to help. If it's just one caregiver, you're easily paying over $20K a month.

Ashley Haruna [00:25:57]:
And that's not even a nurse, okay?

Kelly Augspurger [00:26:00]:
Oh, no, that's not a nurse.

Ashley Haruna [00:26:01]:
That's not even a nurse.

Kelly Augspurger [00:26:03]:
That's non medical care, what we're talking about.

Ashley Haruna [00:26:05]:
Yeah, exactly.

Kelly Augspurger [00:26:06]:
Assistance.

Ashley Haruna [00:26:07]:
So being in the industry, I just got lucky to be called to senior care because it shocks me how surprised people are when they arrive to this destination.

Ashley Haruna [00:26:18]:
And it hurts me at the same time because a lot of people, they have in mind that they're going to pass down their assets to their children, and their children will be able to pass it down to their grandchildren. And then when it hits them that they need this asset to be able to fund their care, that is so heartbreaking.

Kelly Augspurger [00:26:38]:
Yeah, yeah.

Ashley Haruna [00:26:40]:
Because, I mean, they've worked their entire lives to be able to have this privilege to do that. So it's heartbreaking to witness. And I'm just shocked at how many people don't know that that's what it is.

Kelly Augspurger [00:26:52]:
I think preserving legacy is important for a lot of people, a lot of families. "I've worked so hard for decades, and I don't want all of my money to go to my care." Most people think that and, "I don't want to be a burden to my kids and my family." So how do we best protect against both of those? Well, you plan in advance, people. That's what you do.

Ashley Haruna [00:27:11]:
That's the secret.

Kelly Augspurger [00:27:12]:
You do, you create a plan, you fund the plan, and then you share the plan with your family. Those 3 basic things. How do I create it? What do I need to consider? How am I going to pay for it? And then, okay, now I need to let my family know this is my plan. So if we don't share it, what good is it going to do? We don't want to just keep it locked up in a drawer somewhere. We want our family to have access to the plan. All right, Ashley, let's quickly move into what I call lightning round. So I'm going to ask you just a few questions. Fill in the blank.

Kelly Augspurger [00:27:42]:
Okay, so first instinct. Go ahead and just fill in the blank with what do you think. Number one, most families don't realize "blank" until it's too late.

Ashley Haruna [00:27:51]:
Most families don't realize the amount of resources that are available to them until it's too late.

Kelly Augspurger [00:27:58]:
Oh, good. Number two, the biggest mistake families make when it comes to care planning is...

Ashley Haruna [00:28:03]:
Putting it off until a crisis. That's the worst decision. It's so common, but that's the worst one to make.

Kelly Augspurger [00:28:10]:
That's it. Don't wait. And then finally, if you haven't started a care plan, yet, the first step is...

Ashley Haruna [00:28:15]:
The first step, you can have a care clarity session with me, and we'll walk away from that session with 3 next steps that you can take.

Kelly Augspurger [00:28:24]:
Perfect. All right, Ashley. And where can people find more information about you and your services?

Ashley Haruna [00:28:29]:
Yes, you can find more information at LaPerleConcierge.com and you can check me out on LinkedIn.

Kelly Augspurger [00:28:37]:
Perfect. Thanks, Ashley. Well, everyone, thanks so much for being here today. Most families don't fail because they don't care, they fail because they don't have a plan and they don't have a system. And what I love about this conversation is what it looks like to actually create one. So we're going to create a plan.

Kelly Augspurger [00:28:53]:
We're going to fund it. We're going to share it with those that you love. And that way, your future self and your family will thank you. So, Ashley, thanks so much for being here today. Have a wonderful day!

Ashley Haruna [00:29:03]:
Thank you, Kelly!