Question: How Do I Decide Which Home is the Best Fit for My Family Member?
Answer: When trying to decide which home is the best fit for an elderly family member, there are many variables that could influence your decision. Overall, you want what is best for your elderly loved one, but in ways that work well with other family members. Regardless, if your loved one lives in the home with other family members, can still live alone in a modifed home, or needs an assisted living facility.
The elderly population is expected to reach 68 million over the next two decades. Many families today are not prepared for the time and costs involved with caring for seniors. If you are taking the initiative now to look for the best home for your family member, you will be better prepared for the move.
Finding a Home Which Best Fits Your Elderly Family Member
There could come a time when you cannot keep up with the strenuous demands of taking good care of your loved one. If this time ever comes, you will need other caregivers to assist you. If that care is needed around the clock, you will need the help of an assisted care facility, or a nursing home in extreme cases.
Here are some ideas on choosing the best home, and suggestions on other services that you might need:
Cost – Before you look at the type of home or services that your loved one needs, you will more than likely need to figure out the costs. If it is an assisted living facility or nursing home, you can expect to pay for the extra amenities. It’s best to look at what Medicare and your insurance can cover and then figure out how much will need to come out of the pockets of family members.
Professional Staff – If your elderly family member needs additional medical assistance, you will need to hire professional staff to come to your home, or you will need to move your loved one to assisted living. Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers can require additional care. Make sure the people who are caring for your family member has the correct training, qualifications, and education.
Who’s Home – When you need to decide on which home is best fit for your family member, try to find a home that is close to most family members. If your loved one is going to be in the care of immediate family, you also need to choose a family member who is best able to care for your loved one.
Additional family members can play a key part by providing financial assistance as well as visiting their loved one as often as possible.
Home Modifications – A home that is best fit for your family member will need to have modifications to accommodate your loved one. Home modifications keep your home safe and accessable for seniors.
It should be easy for seniors to reach cabinets, light switches, and doors. Your loved one should be able to easily navigate from room to room in a safe environment with no obstructions.
Additional Suggestions
Supply Supplementary Services – There are medical services available that provide oxygen tanks and other medical equipment that your senior loved one might need.
Meals-on-Wheels are available in many communities across the United States, too. They provide nutritional meals directly to seniors’ door steps. Some cities have similar services under different names.
Pay Attention to Drug Dosages – Seniors need to receive the correct dosage and must take their medicine on time and regularly. Remember you need to adjust the dosage, just like you do with children.
Get other adults in your family or professional medical personnel to monitor the medication and don’t depend on seniors to remember what they need to take.
Your loved one’s life could depend on taking their medicine regularly. If you or other family members cannot provide this type of help in your home, then your loved one should be moved to an assisted living environment.
Assisted Care – Some Americans think about a nursing home when someone begins to talk about assisted living. Yet, the reality is that assisted living can be as varied as having a nurse visit your loved one every day, or a few times a week, to living in an assisted living facility.
Many of the better assisted living facilities are like a home, and every resident is the same as family. The fact is that some family members cannot be with their loved one 24 hours a day.
So, many caregiver projects can be just what your family needs to help deal with the extra burden of caring for your loved one.
Nursing Home – Nursing homes are available for family members who need 24-hour medical supervision. If your family member needs this type.
How to decide which home is the best for for a family member might not be an easy choice. However, the choice you make concerning your elderly loved one’s home is an important decision, and will affect the overall health of your family member. You should choose wisely.
