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Are you thinking it’s time to start senior care? Whether you’re the person or family member/friend, it could be time to start looking. There are so many different factors when deciding what your loved one’s next move is. Before making any big decisions, sit down with your loved one and have a chat about a few things.
What mobility does your loved one have?
The state of your loved one will often determine what kind of facility they could be going to. Is your loved one being moved to a facility because they need help? Are they able to walk on their own or do they need other aids such as cane, wheelchair, or personal aid. These mobility issues could be making them move because they need help doing daily tasks like getting out of bed, showering, getting around, etc. These questions can determine what they need and where they go and often why they need to go.
Do they have health issues?
Does your loved one have health issues that are making them move? Similar to mobility, health issues could make your loved one being moved into care. Such as, someone needing to be moved into a memory care facility or full time care. Resulting in moving them into a facility with trained professionals, such as an aid or 24/7 nurses.There comes a time when it can be too much for a family member to do all on their own and it’s time to make a change. There are so many health issues that your family might need help with, and it might be time to make a move.
Both of the two questions will determine what type of facility your loved one will be able to go to. It can range from one where they get no help, it’s just easier for them to have nurses if they need them, or they could be moving to a nursing home because they need maximum help.
What facility is in your budget?
Budget is an important question because oftentimes these homes are not cheap. Depending on what they have been saving or what plans they had, they might have the money or might be covered for some of these living homes. But in some cases, they won’t be. Making a plan to pay for a living home is key before they get there. Oftentimes each senior living place will have a person set in place that can talk to you about this. Also taking into account additionals such as a full time aid, doctors, physical therapists. There are so many other expenses you should be planning for. This is why it is important to make sure you have the budget talk early.
Is your loved one willing to move?
Sometimes it is time for your family member to move into a senior living facility, but they are not ready. This can be a hard discussion and one that could take weeks to decide. So plan in advance and be ready for a tough but honest conversation.
Finding a place for your loved one is hard. But asking these questions will make it easier in the long run for everyone.