How Do I Know When It’s Time: Moving a Loved One into a Long-Term Care Community

Moving a Loved One into a Long-Term Care Community

The moment that you realize that a loved one is no longer able or wanting to live at home is a life-changing moment. Initially, you may feel sad, angry, and relieved all at once. These initial feelings tend to give way to feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the magnitude of the task ahead and the decisions that must be made to help your loved one take the next step.

Selecting a long-term care facility is a major decision that often requires many hours of research and deliberation. While the factors at play are nearly infinite and are different for every individual, Artesia Christian Home has three questions that can help you get the decision-making process underway.

How Well Can My Loved One Perform Basic Daily Functions?

Assessing a person’s ability to perform the basic activities of daily living is typically among the first steps in choosing the correct type of long-term care facility, as well as determining the person’s eligibility for Medicaid or other long-term care assistance. According to Investopedia, there are six widely recognized ADLs to consider:

●       Dressing, including operating zippers, buttons, and shoelaces

●       Eating and drinking, including using utensils correctly

●       Bathing, including other hygiene and grooming tasks such as brushing teeth

●       Mobility, including getting around or being able to get from a bed to a walker or wheelchair (and then back into bed)

●       Getting onto and off the toilet unassisted

●       Continence, including being able to control bowel and bladder functions

A person who can perform all or most of these functions without help is typically better suited to an assisted living community, where he or she will typically enjoy more independence and flexibility than in a nursing home. A person who needs help with many or all ADLs usually needs the higher degree of daily care offered in skilled nursing facilities.

Does My Loved One Have Other Special Care Needs?

An ADL assessment is a good starting point, but it’s not always a definitive measure of the amount and type of care a person needs. For example, a person who is in the early stages of dementia may have no trouble performing the six ADLs but may walk out the front door and get lost several times a week. In this case, a designated memory care community may be the best choice.

How Will My Loved One Pay for Care?

While some people can cover all the costs of long-term care themselves, most Americans need some assistance to pay for these facilities. This assistance usually comes from either Medicaid or long-term care insurance. If your loved one will need assistance, consider a session with a retirement planning coach to be sure you understand your family’s options.

To qualify for Medicaid assistance, a person must first typically exhaust all other resources. For many families, this requires selling your loved one’s home and using the proceeds to pay for care. Before hanging out a “For Sale” sign, do a little research first. Check local housing prices to get a ballpark idea of what the house might sell for. Find out the balance of any mortgage or tax lien against the property, and don’t forget to discuss the potential sale with other family members.

Helping Your Loved One Transition

Moving into a senior community can be a difficult time for your loved one as they enter the unfamiliar. You can help make the transition easier by providing them with comfort in their new bedroom. If you’d like to spruce up their bedding, this is a good option to consider. An attractive duvet cover, new bedding, and some décor can help make their new bedroom feel more like home.

Helping a loved one make the decision to move into a long-term care community is difficult in many ways. Take advantage of every resource available to ensure that the transition is as positive as possible for everyone involved.

 To learn more about our 5-star rated senior living options, visit Artesia Christian Home today!

by: Claire Wentz

www.caringfromafar.com