When your parent needs help with the basic activities of daily living, it may be time to look into an assisted living facility for him or her. Choosing whether assisted living would be the right option can be a complex decision requiring a dispassionate evaluation of the situation and careful consideration.
Planning for the health and proper care of an aging parent is no easy undertaking. That is a given. As a parent moves toward healthcare and assisted living there are myriad questions and issues to consider. These run the gamut from financial to medical and, yes, the emotional.
By way of a primer, consider reading (and sharing) a recent Forbes article titled “The Basics: Assisted Living For Your Parent.”
Some of the most important issues in planning for late- or end-of-life care include understanding the various kinds of facilities and treatments available. There is, for example, a decided difference between nursing home care and an assisted living situation.
Even within assisted living communities there are many different kinds of facilities, from the large to the small and the homey to the clinical. In the end, you must know what to look for and what is appropriate for the elderly loved one in need of care.
The key, if possible, is to include your loved in the evaluation process. Ensure that they are included in the discussions and options. Otherwise, expect resistance to change because the transition to care away from home is by nature very disruptive on many levels.
Once you know the kind of care needed and your loved one is on board, then comes the question of how to pay for it and how to understand Medicaid, Medicare, and the programs that can help fill the gaps.
Needless to say, this can be a complex process. Be sure to read and share the original article to help you and your loved one make a transition that is right for their circumstances.
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Reference: Forbes (March 13, 2014) “The Basics: Assisted Living For Your Parent”
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