Matching the right assisted living home with your parent’s needs budget, location, and lifestyle is easier when you prepare everyone that is involved with the process.
Communication is the most important thing because assisted living communities can provide the essential care that your parents will need.
The need for an assisted living facility starts once more care is needed than a caregiver can provide. Once you see the need for more care or 24-hour care, here are some steps to help put your parents in an assisted living facility.
Communication With The Family About Assisted Living
Starting the conversation with your parents about relocating to an assisted living community, is important for a smooth transition, and the sooner you start the conversation the better.
Relocation to your parents to an assisted living community is a big decision. When you know the level of care that your parents need, you need to be honest with the level of care that your parents can receive at home.
Caring for a loved one at home can be challenging, and sometimes it is needed to have a conversation with the family, to explain the level of care that is needed, and what can be performed at home.
Communication is important, so if there are any disagreements, it is best to settle them first. If a family member is going to be affected financially by moving your parents into an assisted living home, it is important that everyone is on the same page.
Getting all family members’ input will help with the transition and make things easier for the whole family about putting your parents into an assisted living home.
If your parents have resistance to moving into an assisted living home, because they do not believe that they need that level of care, it might be a good idea to get a mediator.
Sometimes your parents just will not listen, and you cant makes them, but having professional advice can be helpful, as they have no emotion involved in the decision.
How Assisted Living Can Help
Moving your parents into an assisted living community can be stressful, and it is a big upheaval for the parent. It is important to make sure that their needs are met.
Assisted living will help with bathing, dressing, and helping them to move about. Assisted living can help with memory care or dementia care, the communities will all have different types of activities, and therapies.
Living in an assisted living home, there are plenty of daily amenities and activities, so your parent will be active, stay healthy, and stay safe.
Paying For Assisted Living
Cost is one of the most important factors for a family putting their parent in an assisted living home, it is important to find the right home for your parent, but it also has to fit into your monthly budget.
It is important to know what type of care your parents need. Then work out your monthly budget, and what you can afford. Then you can look for an assisted living facility that is within your monthly budget.
Assisted living is typically paid for by the family as insurance will not cover the cost, some long-term care insurance will pay for some of it, but typically it is paid for out of pocket.
Talking to your parents about their finances is a good way to also open the conversation about long-term care. Given how expensive assisted living is, it is important to have the conversation sooner rather than later, so you can get everything ready for their long-term care.
It is important to understand the level of care that your parents need, so you can heave a better understanding of the costs of assisted living.
the average cost for assisted living is a little over $4,000 per month, but the cost will vary from state to state, and also on the level of care that your parents need, memory care is more expensive, as the level of care and attention is higher.
Visit a Senior Living Community
The best way to know if the assisted living facility is going to work for you and your parent is to visit it, no matter how many times you check out their website, look at all of the photos, and read all of the reviews, there is no substitute to actually visiting the community.
The best time to visit an assisted living home for you and your parent is during mealtime. this is the best time to meet more staff members, and residents, and you can even sample the food.
Get a good feel for the culture and the environment of the community, you can check out some of the activities, and check out the grounds of the community.
It is also important to do a follow-up tour, ask all the questions that you have, and also take notes during the tour, we suggest you tour more than once, but you may have to do virtual tours during Covid 19.
Talk With Loving Assisted Living
When you are looking into finding the best assisted living community, it is important to talk with experts, you can always contact us, to discuss in more detail your concerns.
Reading the reviews of the senior homes that you are interested in, can give you another insight into the home and help you to make the best-informed decision.
Look into the background of the retirement homes that you are interested in, check that they are in compliance with their state regulations, and make sure that they have no violations with the state.
If you would like to talk with an Elder Law attorney before you sign your assisted living agreement before you place your parents into the home, some assisted living contracts can be confusing. You can find an Elder Lawyer here.
Transitioning into Senior living Facilities
Do not delay the transition into a senior care facility, when your parents need this level of care, the sooner they get it the better. Avoiding devastating head accidents from falls, avoid them from driving, or other medical problems.
Start the transition period as soon as you can, start the downsizing process for your parent. Start to sell items or donate them. Hire a professional moving company, or do it yourself, and coordinate the move as smoothly as possible to minimize the stress of all of the family members.
Make sure you have all medical documents, tax returns, or any other important documentation that your parents have. Make sure that you place all of the important documentation in a safe place.
Here at Loving Assisted Living, we are here to help you to find the right assisted living home for your parents, whether your parents are choosing the facility themselves, or you are doing it for them, we are here to help you through the process.
Start the conversation with your parents as soon as possible, discuss all of the options for them, the good ones and the bad ones, remember your parent’s safety is the most important thing, for them to live as happily and as healthy as possible.