The tour of local nursing homes was a wake up call for both you and your father.
Your Dad was the one who prompted the visits, as he was certain that he wanted to have plans in place for when he was no longer able to stay in his own home. At the age of 86 your Dad is still going strong but he wants to make sure that he understands what options are available to him. Your father is certain that he does not want to stay in one of the high dollar assisted living options, but he does realize that he will eventually reach the point where he can no longer stay in his home alone. Currently, he does his own cooking most of the week, and he has someone come in a clean the house once a week.
The tour of local nursing homes showed your father that he is in far better shape than most of the residents that he was able to visit with. The assisted living places that he has looked at before though all seem to be too fancy. He does not need a movie theater or craft space, he simply wants someone to play cribbage with him in the morning and play a little card game of pitch in the evening. He still likes to spend time outside as much as possible, but he has never been a fan of walking in circles around a landscaped pond. His exercise has always had a purpose. Pushing the lawn mower, Harvesting vegetables from the garden.
The latest visits are an indicator that your father may not fit the role of most of the people who live in the nursing homes that are closest to his house. For now, you have decided that the best plan is to find someone who can help your father age at home, instead of moving into a care facility when that time comes.
Looking at Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Places, and Other Options Is a Good Idea
Far too many families wait far too long before they have a discussion about what they will do when aging parents or grandparents are no longer able to be in their own home. Instead of ignoring the inevitable, it is important to make sure that you have the necessary conversations with your parents or grandparents. Knowing what their options are can help your aging family members feel more confident about their future, even when they are not able to stay in their own homes.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the current offerings that many families are considering:
- Care levels available are the main assets that people look at when they are considering looking at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. For instance, nearly 40% of all assisted living facilities provide some skilled care for their residents.
- One of the main reasons that people find themselves looking at care facilities is that they are looking for a place that offers memory care facilities.
- Memory care facilities often offer differing levels of care.
- Finding the right care facility is important for many families.
- One of the best ways to prepare for a major change is to examine all of the possible options.
- Research from from indicates that 54% of assisted living residents are 85 or older.
- The typical assisted living facility resident of is an 87 year old woman, who is mobile but needs help with two or three daily living activities.
Finding the right place for a spouse, parent, or grandparent who is no longer able to live at home can be a difficult transition. Finding a space that provides COMFORT, however, can make any transition easier to manage. For instance, knowing that your loved one will find comfort in the activities that are offered can make you feel less anxious when the change occurs. In addition, the aging person in your life should take the time and energy to make sure that they have prioritized the wishes that they have. Transitions are a challenge, but they are more manageable if they are well researched before hand.