Staying at Home vs Moving to a Retirement Community

How to Tell When It’s Time to Make the Big Leap to Senior Care

Staying at Home verses Moving in to a qualified Retirement Community

How to weigh the pros and cons of choosing a retirement community or aging in place, in your own home. These choices can be extremely challenging to be involved with your aging loved ones on a daily or weekly basis. RETIREMENT PLANNING for SENIOR CARE and to still maintain enough perspective on the situation with added moving costs. It is important to make an informed decision about seeking elder care where and when the time is right. Add to that lack of perspective the fact that your senior loved one may not wish to worry you regarding their ability to care for themselves completely, or the potential for isolation and loneliness that may come with their situation, and you have a perfect recipe for waiting beyond the ideal time to seek assistance for your aging loved ones. Thankfully, there are some common signs that, once you familiarize yourself with them, should be able to help you keep some perspective in evaluating your senior loved one’s ability to care for themselves.

KEY POINTS

• Get ready for that major leap of faith however, benefits usually outweigh the drawbacks of the unknown when moving to a retirement community
• Price points and quality range of retirement-living opportunities are usually broad, so it's worth researching the possibilities thoroughly before writing off the idea in favor of permanently aging in place.
• Retirement communities for a person of failing health, can be safer in some ways than remaining at home.

We arm you with a short list of warning signs and red flags to watch out for can be empowering for you in a time when knowing what the right thing to do becomes increasingly problematic. Familiarizing yourself with these common signs may also equip you to help in the process of persuading your aging loved one that it’s truly time for a change. Here are 4 common signs that you or your loved one is ready for a new living location is a wise investment in everyone's future.

1) Changes in Shopping or Eating Habits

Keep an eye on the refrigerator and pantry in your aging loved one’s kitchen. Spoiled food in the refrigerator can be a clear warning sign that something is amiss. But, sometimes the signs can be even more subtle, including a shift from purchasing healthy fresh foods to purchasing only prepared and instant meals and snack foods.

2) Change in Loved One’s Cleaning Habits

As your aging loved one approaches the need for assisted living of some sort, there will often be a natural downturn in their ability to keep a clean, tidy home. This happens naturally as energy levels diminish and vision problems become more pronounced.

3) Bills Piling Up, Appointments Missed, Medications Forgotten

Lack of follow-through on taking care of the everyday, mundane tasks necessary to preserve home and health are clear potential warning signs of an aging loved one’s need for assistance. It can be challenging to investigate whether your aging loved one has been missing doses of their meds, but a pile of bills on the desk, or a quick call to their physician may give you the information you need to help you in your decision to find them a better living situation.

4) Dents and Bruises

Because your aging loved one may not be forthcoming with you regarding every aspect of their life that points toward their need for assistance, you may have to pay attention to the ongoing condition and signs that they may not be physically safe living on their own. A fresh bruise on the arm can be an indication of an unreported fall. A new dent in the bumper or fender of their car may be an indicator that they are having trouble seeing. Either could be a great way to begin the elder care conversation, as well as a clear indicator that their abilities to navigate their home and the wider world are waning.

• Staying at Home: Buy-In and Ongoing Costs
• Consider the Types of Retirement Communities in your area
• Connect with a contactor about ADA changes for living out your days in Place or Age in Place
• Think about Community verses Isolation
• Talk with your doctor about Health Care Risks and Benefits
• What ifs: Moving, THEN Changing Your Mind

Most Seniors Enjoy Making the Move to Living in an Elder Care Community

Contemplate the cost of adding ADA features to your home such as exterior ramps, interior chair lifts, walk-in tubs, wider halls and doorways, and other elements designed to assist as we age. Once you’ve started the conversation with your loved one, you may find that it becomes easier to continue. Naturally, these conversations can be daunting to bring up the subject of elder care or assistance within the home. But keeping your eye on the warning signs that your aging loved ones may be ready for assisted living is the first step toward keeping them safe as they age.

Finding a Place for Mom or Dad with Golden Placements:

Golden Placements helps you manage resources and takes care of the leg work for finding your best living situation so you can enjoy your best Golden Years. GPS has ideas gathered over years of experience by being Senior Life Specialists. Portland Senior Living and their various options from our Golden Girls specialists are IS NO COST. Community living and finding the right living choice for you or your loved one is important. We help you navigate the details. Here are more resources to help you learn more about our services:

• You can call us today or continue to read more about Long Term Care Planning with our friends at ACL
• Oregon Defines and Describes ADLs for us legally here: Long Term Care
• Golden Placements RESOURCES to find CARE Services
• Quality locations for you Senior Loved One with the Golden Girls
• Senior Living Near Me - Adult Home Placement
• Explore Residential Care Homes for Elderly "near me"

LaVona Tomberlin, Senior Placement Specialist

Tomberlin brings a high level of education and experience to you as your Senior Placement Specialist at GPS. She loves writing about improving the lives of Elderly working in private care and in-home care for over 36 years. Geriatrics, Memory Care. Plus, she holds Master of Psychology Behavioral Health with the goal of advocating for those who needed a voice. Basically, LaVona believes helping the families to make good decisions and to relieve their stress in uncertain times makes life worthwhile!

Learn More: Read articles from Placement Specialist LaVona: End of Life Transition a heart felt Guide