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Alternative Senior Living -
When living together is not working |
Living all together is not going to work for everyone. If it is not working our for you, do not panic, come up with an alternative that works for everyone. If you are not happy with your arrangement, chances are, your parent is not happy either. It is hard to hide your feelings when you live together. There are many alternative living arrangments to consider.
For in-home help, adult children are increasingly turning to an emerging class of professionals to help aging parents stay in their homes. Geriatric-care managers-typically for-profit social workers or nurses specializing in elder issues-can attend doctor's appointments with the patient, supervise medication, hire and oversee home health assistants, or find and evaluate assisted-living or nursing homes. Typical cost: $80 to $200 an hour (and rarely covered by insurance). The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (www.caremanager.org) can provide local referrals.
Senior Cohousing - living together gives seniors who are still able to live independently the opportunity to enjoy the company of others their own age, while still looking out for each other. They share chores and maintenance expenses. Some choose to eat together, while others just share the kitchen area. It is a great way to enjoy socializing and not be lonely while not feeling that they are burdening their family members. Costs can be kept low since the cost of running a single family home is split between three or four people. Rooms are typically rented, preserving each person's own funds intact, so that they can choose to leave if and when they might need assisted living.
Assisted Living - people live on their own, but can summon help as needed. The average monthly fee is starts at $3,000, with increases for additional assistance such as dementia and meal prep.
Some assisted-living homes are part of continuing-care retirement communities. These communities continue to care for residents for the remainder of their lives, moving them to the various facilities as their needs increase. Residents typically pay an entrance fee, which can range from $70,000 to more than $1 million. In addition, there is a monthly fee that may increase as the resident's level of care goes up. If you choose assisted care or continuing care, make sure you understand the full range of fees as care increases. Both of these types of operations are licensed and regulated by the states.
Nursing Homes - the traditional nursing homes are increasingly becoming more homey and warm to try to keep up with other housing alternatives. Often times, the residents are grouped into smaller groups who can make some decisions for their group. when considering a nursing, home, really think about whether you would want to live there. There are many options to choose from, so visit many types of home before settling on one.
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| Parents in the House.net |
Your Resource and Survival Guide
for living happily ever after |
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