Here are some tips to consider when helping your loved one plan for old age.
Making a care plan for a loved one can be stressful. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan and several things to consider so if you’re looking for help, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips to consider when helping your loved one plan for old age.
Quality of life still matters
When it comes to getting old, most of us just want to be happy and comfortable. We want to enjoy these golden years surrounded by familiar people and places. And for many people, the option of staying at home as you age makes sense. After all, you worked hard to make this house a home and that’s where you’re comfortable. The experts would agree with you that if it’s possible, you should age in place or explore retirement community living.
But what if it isn’t? What if your quality of life will suffer at home? For many adults, aging is uncomfortable and ridden with sickness. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and other debilitating conditions make it impossible to age in place. And not everyone has a reliable support team to make it an option. In situations like this, the best choice for your loved one may be a nursing home or long-term care facility. In facilities such as these, they can receive the level of care they need in order to age as comfortably as possible.
Not all facilities are created equal
While there are several wonderful care facilities around the world, they are not created equally and unfortunate events, like abuse or neglect, do occur in nursing homes. That’s why it's a good idea to be aware of the signs and have the number of an experienced nursing home law office handy just in case. While nobody wants to hear it, instances of neglect and abuse are far too common and if you notice signs that your loved one is being improperly cared for, don’t hesitate to investigate.
There are 5 types of abuse to be on alert for: sexual, physical, financial, emotional, and neglect. Some of them are easier to spot than others but signs like flinching when being touched, adverse emotional reactions in the presence of certain people, money gone missing from accounts or hiding places, and physical evidence, such as broken bones or emaciation, are all red flags and should not be ignored. On the contrary, in an instance that a protective order is set against someone and they unknowingly violated it, protective order violation defense attorneys can lessen the possible penalties or might even have it nullified.
How to decide what’s best
What you ultimately decide will be based on your loved one’s health, financial stability, and wishes but it can still be difficult to make a decision. Let’s take a look at some influencing factors
Health
The most important factor in determining the best care plan is the health of your loved one. If they are relatively healthy, able-bodied, and of sound mind, there’s no reason they can’t remain in their home for as long as these things remain true. Even if they have some difficulty with household tasks, like mowing and shoveling or driving limitations, that doesn’t mean you ship them away. Take a look at retirement communities or senior living facilities, where they are surrounded by similar aged people and have access to support to ease some of these difficulties
On the contrary, if they have significant health concerns that require daily monitoring or have limited cognitive functioning or physical limitations, then an advanced care facility must be considered. There are several options and they include assisted living, memory care, or long-term CBRF. Be realistic with everyone’s limits when deciding if this route is the best.
Money
Aging is expensive, and no matter how much you’ve saved, it’s only going to become more costly. If your loved one has planned well, they have adequate retirement income and a long-term care rider to help offset the cost of aging. If they didn’t, then your options are limited to what is affordable. In some situations, that means a relative offers to live with your aging loved one and in others, it means going to a facility that might not have everything they want, but can take care of basic needs.
Time
The last major factor in deciding how to support a loved one as they age is time. How much time can care team members realistically invest in completing necessary tasks, such as grocery shopping, housecleaning, and driving to medical appointments. If there is someone available to be a live-in caregiver when the time comes, wonderful! If there isn’t, then you’ve got some exploring to do.
When it comes to aging, everyone’s circumstances are different. Know the resources at your disposal and keep those in mind when developing a care plan for your loved one.
Photo by Bruno Aguirre on Unsplash
