Today’s family challenge
“Mom fell, again”…what has been her gradual physical and cognitive decline had not been noticed, much less anticipated.
Is it safe for her to drive? Can she remember to lock the front door? What about the thermostat? Has she already taken her meds today?
Who can stay with her? When family pitches in, they average 20 hours per week.
Solution? Senior living communities answer many important needs:
- Nutrition: 3 meals a day with no dishes to wash.
- Safety: Front door opens into the hallway of the community. Help with meds.
- Transportation: Community provides transportation to medical appointments, shopping and outings.
- Social: Familiar company at meals. A variety of activities including gardening, crafts and music.
Which senior living community best fits her needs? Which senior living community will accept her? Which senior living option is affordable?
The average cost of assisted living is ______ per month. Who pays? Not Medicare.
What happens to the house? the contents? How best may a family stay informed of her status?
Having worked through my mother’s progressive needs in aging and, more recently, observed those of my wife’s Mom, I have set out to assist adult children who, likewise, are realizing their Mom’s capacities are declining and needs are multiplying.
More specifically, I am offering to carefully align “Mom’s” individual needs with the variety of senior living options. I have toured dozens and have friends who are residents in some. My value-add includes guidance with needs assessment; comparing costs; what about rate increases; what to ask / notice while touring. I can refer them to specialists in powers-of-attorney, guardianship, veterans’ benefits, decluttering and move management. To defray the costs, I can even look at the suitability of expeditiously selling a family home about to be vacated. My services are not only comprehensive, they are also complimentary.
infinitesimus 