The biggest mistakes in elder care don’t happen because families don’t care — they happen because they wait until a crisis forces decisions they aren’t prepared to make. I met an adult son who didn’t want to “worry his mom” by talking about future needs. Then she fell, and suddenly he had 48 hours to choose a rehab, find caregivers, and tour assisted living communities he knew nothing about. He later told me, “I wish we had learned all this sooner.” That’s the power of education before crisis — when families understand their options early, they make better decisions, with less fear and less pressure. Introduce me to the adult child who says, “We’re not ready to talk about that yet.” What they really want is confidence — the peace of knowing they’ll be prepared when the moment comes. Ask them, “If something changed tomorrow, would your family know what to do?”