If you have an aging family member, deciding what to do in regard to their long-term care can cause significant stress. You want your family member to enjoy their sunset years, but sometimes, even the most independent seniors need assistance to protect their safety. And with today’s hectic lifestyles, having grandma or grandpa move in with you for care may not prove practicable.
When it comes time to select a senior living facility, you have a lot of options. Different types of residences exist that provide higher or lower levels of care, and paying for senior care can daunt the most financially savvy. In case it’s time for you to select a senior care facility for someone you love, here are seven tips for making the transition healthy, happy and less stressful for you and the senior you love.
1. Initiate the Conversation
Before you start your search, you’ll want to initiate a conversation with your aging family member. Try to pick a time when everyone is feeling calm and relaxed. Invite your family member to dinner or tea, and express your concerns in a loving way.
Take a pass on an all-or-nothing proposition about sending your family member to care. Some seniors exhibit resistance to the idea, so avoid giving ultimatums unless an imminent risk to health makes an immediate move necessary. Strive to keep the conversation positive, focusing on all the benefits available, like greater opportunity for socialization.
2. Locate Nursing Homes Nearby
Your family member’s doctors can serve as a valuable initial first contact as you start your search. When you next take your family member to the doctor, ask about nursing home facilities they have experience with. What do they recommend? Do they have any reservations?
Neighbors and friends likewise can offer insight. If you know others with loved ones in senior care facilities, ask for advice. Still struggling? You can contact your local Agency on Aging for recommendations.
3. Understand Your Options
Different types of senior care facilities exist, and some offer higher care levels than others. Consider the following options:
- At-home care: The least-restrictive environment — if your family member can remain independent but needs help with chores, prepping meals or taking medications — is having an in-home certified nursing assistant (CNA) provide care.
- Assisted-living facilities: Assisted living facilities offer greater independence as well. Many have individual apartments for residents, and staff members provide help with meals, medications and similar elements. These facilities may keep nurses on call instead of on site.
- Residential care facilities: Resident care facilities are the next highest level of care. They provide one-on-one support with activities like bathing and walking to the restroom. Rooms in such facilities are private or shared dorm-style.
- Skilled nursing facilities: The most intensive level of care, these facilities provide nursing care 24/7. Nurses help residents use ventilators, monitor blood pressure and administer intravenous feedings. Medicare often pays for only temporary care at this level, but Medicaid may pick up the slack. Such facilities also often maintain legal representatives on-site to help you navigate things like payment arrangements for ongoing care.
4. Utilize Referral Services
Numerous referral services exist to help you find the right nursing home. While they do cost money, they can help you locate the perfect place.
Assisted living referral services take the legwork off your plate and provide information in minutes that could take hours or days to gather on your own. They offer valuable details such as the number of residents per facility, the staff-to-patient ratio, average occupancy, proximity to hospitals and reports of resident complaints.
5. Pay Sites a Visit
Depending on your family member’s comprehension level, take them with you to visit facilities whenever possible. After all, they’ll spend the majority of the rest of their lives in the residence, and you want them to feel comfortable with the arrangements.
When you’re visiting the facility, engage your senses. It’s normal for places like skilled nursing facilities, for example, to have a medicinal smell, but foul odors may indicate neglect. How do staff members interact with patients? Are they smiling and caring, or cold and clinical? Trust your gut above all — if a place gives you or your family member a bad vibe, honor that feeling and look elsewhere if possible.
6. Get Finances in Order
Paying for senior care is expensive, especially if your family member lacks long-term care insurance. Medicare rarely pays for assisted living but will pay for skilled nursing facilities or home health care in some cases. Medicaid helps cover the gap for those with limited income. Some assisted living facilities offer private funding based on need.
Often, families pay for care by selling their family member’s home. If that’s your situation, consulting with a qualified estate attorney can help you.
7. Prepare for Moving Day
Many seniors require assistance packing and moving, so if you cannot assist yourself, you may need to pay for a moving company to help your family member pack. Start early — at least two months prior to the move, begin going through the home with your family member. Exercise empathy during this time — moving into assisted living typically means downsizing, and deciding which out of a lifetime of keepsakes to retain can prove emotional for many.
Be sure to make copies of all medical records and legal documents, such as wills. Keep a copy in a safe deposit box. Depending on your family member’s health, they may or may not take copies of such documentation with them when they move.
Making a Smooth Transition to Assisted Living
When you can no longer care for an aging family member at home, finding the right residential living arrangement for them can be stressful. However, by following the tips above, you can make the transition as seamless and easy as possible.
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