By Erin Kershaw, Certified Senior Advisor at Concierge Care Advisors
The staff at Concierge Care Advisors is committed to keeping seniors safe in their homes. We recognize that NO ONE wants to move to an Adult Family Home or Assisted Living Community. I tell the adult children of all my clients that I have a “100% dissatisfaction rate” meaning NONE of my clients want to make a move but ALL of their concerned family members breathe a sigh of relief once a move happens.
Not everyone needs to move to be safe; however, it’s important to ask yourself some questions about what staying home looks like, as opposed moving to an environment that offers supportive services. Bringing in home care can be a good option, but if you are watching your money, then paying for home care for a long term can be cost prohibitive. If all the money is spent keeping a senior at home and they absolutely have to move some day, you may be frustrated with your choices (or lack of them) should you need to find a home that accepts Medicaid, or a home that will accept just a few months of private pay funds prior to needing to apply for Medicaid. If your family member is home with home care and the following things are occurring frequently you may want to talk to an advisor about other options.
- You are on the phone with your family and friends almost daily about your loved ones care needs
- Your loved one has repeated hospitalizations
- Your loved tells you many times they want to move or need to make changes, only to tell you they want to remain in their home
- Your loved one has no access to socialization with people their own age (even those that have dementia or are not very social can benefit from this)
- You notice that they are not taking their medications correctly, or at all
- Your loved one has had multiple falls
- It has become very difficult to take your loved one to doctor appointments and other outings due to their poor mobility
- Medical professionals (doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists) have mentioned the need for a move several times
If the above issues are occurring frequently, then home care may no longer be the answer. I want to stress that we are not anti-home care, but if you are spending a lot of time and money keeping your aging loved one in their own home, you may be applying a band aid to a situations that needs stitches. Meeting with an advisor is free and it can shed some light on what other options may exist for keep everyone safe and happy!
