I recently received a call from Tom in Mt. Laurel NJ asking about home care for his parents. His Mother is 84 years old and Dad is 86. They live in a lovely two bedroom condo in a retirement community but recent calls by his parents to 911 have signaled to Tom that his parents can no longer live alone. His Mother has diabetes, needs assistance with medications and due to a recent fall and hospitalization, some help with dressing and bathing. His Dad is more independent, but has macular degeneration and is not able to cope with his wife’s care. Tom was surprised to learn that the cost of home care was comparable to assisted living costs and scheduled tours at two of the nearby Assisted living communities in Wilmington Delaware.
Assited living is ideal for people needing help throughout the day and want to remain active and independent in an environment that provides around the clock caregivers. Residents in assisted living are encouraged to do as much as possible on their own and are surrounded by others who are still fairly independent so residents in assisted living tend to remain healthier, more involved and active than seniors who remain isolated in their home with a caregiver who provides a few hours of homecare per day.
Today I received a call from Carol in East Brunswick, NJ asking about Nursing home care for her 86 year old Mom who lives alone in a two story home in Camden County NJ. Her Mother has Parkinson’s disease, needs assistance with medications and due to a recent fall and hospitalization, some help with dressing and bathing. Carol was pleased to learn that there were several excellent assisted living communities near her in Cherry Hill, NJ that provide not only that type of care, but that assisted living cost is nearly half that of nursing homes care.
Assited living is ideal for people needing help throughout the day, but don’t require the intensive supervision and skilled nursing care that nursing homes provide. Residents in assisted living are encouraged to do as much as possible on their own and are surrounded by others who are still fairly independent so residents in assisted living tend to remain healthier, more involved and active than seniors who enter long term care facilities prematurely.
When assisted living is the best option for the care of a parent, identifying local communities as well as the actual assisted living costs are the first steps. If your parent needs dementia care, include only those assited livings that have specialized programs and activities for residents with dementia. While most facilities will accommodate dementia and Alzheimer’s, places that have a special unit just for those residents are often better equipped to manage that population. Caregivers should have specialized training in order to provide the best care for your parent with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia diagnoses.
Once you have chosen at least four assisted living communities, call ahead and make an appointment for a tour. Allow at least 1 hour for a tour of each assisted living residence. Now narrow your choice to 2 assisted living communities that you feel can provide the best care for your parent. The accurate cost of assisted living is determined by the rent and cost of the level of care your mother or father will require. The true cost also depends on additional charges for laundry, cable and telephone. Additionally, there is an upfront fee called a community fee that can be up to one month’s rent. (Try to negotiate if possible.) The cost will vary at each assisted living community.
After you have narrowed your search, it’s time to bring your parents. Allowing them to make the decision will help in the transition to their new home in assisted living. Taking tours and understanding real assisted living costs are the beginning steps to making a good choice. CareGrade also provides free advisers to further assist you in this process. If you are not local or just need an expert resource, we are here to help.
When assisted living is the best option for the care of a parent, identifying local communities as well as the actual assisted living costs are the first steps. If your parent needs dementia care, include only those assited livings that have specialized programs and activities for residents with dementia. While most facilities will accommodate dementia and Alzheimer’s, places that have a special unit just for those residents are often better equipped to manage that population. Caregivers should have specialized training in order to provide the best care for your parent with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia diagnoses.
Once you have chosen at least four assisted living communities, call ahead and make an appointment for a tour. Allow at least 1 hour for a tour of each assisted living residence. Now narrow your choice to 2 assisted living communities that you feel can provide the best care for your parent. The accurate cost of assisted living is determined by the rent and cost of the level of care your mother or father will require. The true cost also depends on additional charges for laundry, cable and telephone. Additionally, there is an upfront fee called a community fee that can be up to one month’s rent. (Try to negotiate if possible.) The cost will vary at each assisted living community.
After you have narrowed your search, it’s time to bring your parents. Allowing them to make the decision will help in the transition to their new home in assisted living. Taking tours and understanding real assisted living costs are the beginning steps to making a good choice. CareGrade also provides free advisers to further assist you in this process. If you are not local or just need an expert resource, we are here to help.
