In an article from the New York Times titled “Deciding on Care for Elderly Parents in Declining Health”, the writer Lesley Alderman faces the issue of caring for an aging parent when his 83-year old father had become quite ill. Until then he had been living independently and on his own in an apartment, but upon his release from the hospital he had come to be more fragile and forgetful. It was time to make the decision on what kind of living arrangements were needed to best care for his father.
Alderman has shared a series of guidelines and resources for helping you make the right choices when it comes to making the choice between independent living and assisted living for both single and married parents. Here is a brief overview:
A Safe Home: Hire a geriatric care manager to assess the home for manageability and kinds of support needed. Topics such as home modifications such as grab bars, widening doorways and safe bathrooms come are evaluated. Additionally it is important to determine if the person needs an aide to come in and assist with tasks on a regular basis.
Consider Assisted Living: Some people may not be able to manage on their own, or begin to feel isolated. Assisted living may be a better option with a higher level of care.
Costs and Options: Alderman provided very helpful tips on weighing the costs of home renovations and ongoing mortgage payments vs. assisted living facilities vs. full- and part-time in-home caregivers – and how insurance fits into each picture.
Also, here is a blog entry relating to the original article with some insightful real-life experiences from readers in the comments area.