You or your loved may have reached a level of care that makes living at home impossible and you are not too familiar with alternative living options, then there are a few steps to consider before deciding what type of senior care community or retirement home to choose.

• Step One: Determine Your Primary Need

• Step Two: Choosing the right Elderly Care Facility

• Step Three: Determine what you Can Afford

• Step Four: Select A General Location and Schedule A Tour

• Step One: Determine Your Primary Need

  First you must determine what your loved one's needs truly are and they may be different that what you think. Here are a few questions that you can answer and find out what type of care you are looking for.

  Find out what your loved one can do:

  • Can the senior safely drive?
  • Is the senior able to handle finances and house bills without any difficulty?
  • Is the senior able to take medications as prescribed and can he/she schedule and keep doctor's appointments?
  • Is he/she able to complete daily house chores, cook, handle daily activities safely or has periods of forgetfulness or even confusion?
  • Can the senior ambulate safely with or without device( cane, walker, wheelchair) and is he/she able to shower, groom, dress or use the toilet without assistance?

  You will set a primary need, either is physical or social, and set a secondary need.  Attempt to find a facility that will be able to care 100% for your primary need and, if possible, with a high percentage for your secondary one. For example, if you have a lot of physical needs(primary need) and require a lot of care, you may need to look for a small assisted living facility, residential care home or adult family home that can provide a lot of care at very affordable prices. If, in the same time, you are looking for a lot of activities and social entertainment(secondary need), then a large assisted living facility is recommended but you may be asked to pay extra or provide a private duty caregiver to cover for your physical needs(primary need). This is the time to check your budget and combine the needs with the budget for finding the most appropriate facility. Our recommendation is to find an elder care facility based on your primary need.

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• Step Two: Choosing the right Elderly Care Facility

  If a move is necessary, think about how to choose and pay for an appropriate facility.
  Whenever possible, an older person should participate in making the decision to move into a long-term-care facility. Having some sense of control and choice can ease adjustment to the new place.

   

  After familiarizing yourself with the types of residential care, it’s time to conduct a thorough inventory of the senior’s wants, needs and goals. We chose a few guidance points for you:

  • Can the senior live alone( at home), and more importantly, does he/she want to?  Or would living in a more service-oriented environment( independent living community) be more nurturing?
  • Independence and assistance generally form a continuum: privacy decreases as the need for assistance increases. If the senior's desire for privacy is paramount, independent living, assisted living, or a Continuing Care Retirement Community would all be preferable to a board & care home or a nursing home.
  • How much "personal or custodial care” are needed or desired?. Depending on personal care needs such as assistance with ADLs, grooming, transfers and ambulation, you may be able to know if a large or small( residential) assisted living is needed.
  • How much medical care is needed?. If the senior has a chronic illness that necessitates special medical care, or ongoing services of medical professionals, independent living and even assisted living may not be suitable. Some medical conditions( such as insulin dependent diabetes, diseases that requires intamuscular or intravenous medication) can be managed in independent living or assisted living facilities under home health care services.

   

  It is very important to find the right elderly care facility for your loved one. It will have a profund impact on their dignity, quality of life and sense of well-being.

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• Step Three: Determine what you Can Afford

  Assisted Living cost varies from state to state and, most of the time, is significantly lower in smaller assisted living facilities comparing to larger ones.

   

  Unfortunately, Medicare covers nothing of assisted living cost, Medicaid has some programs( Medicaid Waiver or Diversion) that covers a part of it, and then there are long term care insurances and Veterans aid and attendance benefits that do pay a certain amount toward assisted living. The cost of Assisted Living is mostly an out-of-pocket expense that doesn't need to be higher than what you are already spending to live on your own. If you are in need of partial or 24 hour care and/or supervision, then you will be in great financial advantage by living in an assisted living facility. In-home care can be rather expensive at an average of $12/hour for non licensed personnel( home health aide-caregiver).

   

  Shop Wisely!. Do not spend down all your assets on an expensive assisted living facility or in-home care. Try to cover the facility cost with your monthly income( pension, social security, interests/dividents that your assets may produce, long term care insurance, veteran benefits, etc.).

   

  Today, life expectancy, in average, has increased and people are living much longer. Unless you are suffering from a chronic or terminal disease, you must be financially prudent. Work with a trusted financial advisor if you are not sure how to plan ahead.

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• Step Four: Select A General Location and Schedule A Tour

  Once you've determined how much your loved one can afford to pay for an elderly care facility, select the city or region where the facility should be located. Choosing a facility that is convenient to family and friends makes visiting and monitoring easier.

   

  Include your loved one in the selection process. After all, it is their future home you are selecting. There is a wide variety of living arrangements from completely independent living to 24-hour skilled nursing care. When you compare elderly care facilities, some factors matter more than others. No perfect facility exists. Finding one that meets your needs and getting the facility to accept your loved one, should be your goal.

   

  Make an appointment for a tour. Ask to see more than the public areas. Visit several residents' rooms. Ask if both you and your loved one can join the residents for lunch or dinner. And, if possible, stroll through the facility on your own. This will allow you to experience it without an official interpretation.

   

  Visit several facilities; services and fees will vary greatly.  Be ready to explain the type of care your loved one needs. Ask the facility to describe how it will meet those needs, for example, assistance with dressing, taking medications, incontinence, or general supervision.

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