Six Things To Think About For Senior Housing

by ElderCarelink  

Any talk that you can see coming is going to be a difficult one, and the housing talk with your aging parent or loved one is certainly no exception. Fortunately, some of the pressure can be taken off of both parties by starting the conversation early (i.e., before the decision must be made) and coming to it prepared with a few speaking points.

 Here's a list of six things to think about and talk about with your loved one before the eleventh hour:

 1. Care needs. Does your parent or loved one have a worsening medical condition? What level of care does s/he need now? How about down the line?

 2. Accessibility. Your loved one will need access to things around the house and around the community. From getting to the store to making it to the hospital, pulling weeds to climbing out of the bath, location and access are major issues to consider.

 3. Socializing. Very few people actually enjoy being alone. Consider what kind of social activities your loved one needs to stay sane, whether it's organized activities or the ability to walk over to a neighbor's house.

 4. Caregiving. Don't go for homes or communities that only barely meet your loved one's needs today; go for housing options that meet tomorrow's possibilities.

 5. Finances. What's your budget? Your loved one's? How can everyone live comfortably on that amount of money?

 6. Professional assessment. If you're getting push-back to these questions or neither you nor your loved one really know what to do with the answers, consider talking to an elder-care professional about what housing options would work.

 Have this conversation early, even if only to get your loved one thinking about the issue.