Identify long-term care goals to help elderly parents plan for the future.
Being together over the holidays is a fantastic time to catch up and an ideal time to have discussions about planning long-term care goals with elderly parents. Having an honest and open discussion around care needs, home modifications and finances is very important to help fulfill the wishes of senior loved ones.
Home With You Senior Care, offering trusted live in care in Hampstead and the surrounding communities, has compiled some important questions for you to cover during your conversation. Contact us online or call us at 410-756-0959 for more information.
- Would you like to continue to live at home as you grow older, or consider a move elsewhere? The majority of seniors prefer to remain at home throughout aging over a move to a nursing home or assisted living facility, or moving in with adult children. If this is the case with your parents, consider any changes that need to occur to enable that desire to become a reality: home modifications along with the general layout of the house, as well as a strategy for support if a chronic illness, disability, or simply the challenges of aging make it difficult to stay safe and independent.
- What community services, amenities, and organizations do you want to continue to access? Obviously, your parents will have to be able to get groceries and other necessary supplies and keep up with medical appointments and procedures, but find out what else will be important to them as they grow older, such as going to religious services, nail and/or hair salon appointments, sporting events, visits with friends and neighbors, etc. How will they keep up with these tasks and activities if they become incapable of driving?
- How will the price for any long-term care needs be covered? Financial circumstances are frequently a sensitive subject to broach with your aging parents, but it’s essential to ensure that a strategy is in place to meet future needs. If this hasn’t been done already, now is the perfect time to make sure your parents have specified a power of attorney and met with a financial planner who is able to review investments, savings, insurance, estate planning, retirement funds, etc. and create a plan to cover any potential expenses related to aging care.
- Who is in your network of support? It’s a good idea to assemble a list of your parents’ close friends and neighbors, as well as other members of the family who will be open to assist in the event of emergency, or just as your parents’ abilities change through aging. Prioritize the list in the order your parents prefer them to be contacted if a need arises, and then share the list with anybody who may have the need to reach out to them (including those on the list themselves).
At Home With You Senior Care, we work with seniors and their loved ones throughout Hampstead and the surrounding communities as they start planning long-term care goals. Because our home care services are highly customized, we can begin providing assistance in just a few areas, for only a couple of hours each week, such as help with meals or housekeeping, and you can add in additional support over time as needed.
Contact our aging care experts at 410-756-0959 for the trusted support your senior parents need to remain safe, comfortable, and thriving at home for a lifetime. We are always available to answer any questions you have, and also to schedule a no-cost in-home assessment to share more about our dedicated home care in Hampstead and nearby areas.