A lot of people move because of social isolation
Bunni Dybnis
At some point, many of us will need to move out of our homes. Maybe the stairs become too difficult to maneuver, or the bathroom must be remodeled to accommodate a wheel chair. Many of us are living alone and no longer feel safe. Often, people move for not only safety, but for financial and other quality of life issues . There are many different options available to us and it is something each of us should look into BEFORE that time comes so that we can plan ahead.
15 years ago, my mother had a stroke that totally disabled her. My sisters and I had to scramble to find home care for her. This was while she was still recuperating in a rehab facility. She refused to go to a skilled nursing facility long term. The sister who lived nearby had to manage the revolving door of caregivers daily. She ensured that our mother had everything she needed. She also made sure our mother got to her various doctors appointments and therapies, etc. The next 4 years were quite challenging and eventually reached a point where one person could no longer take care of our mother. That was when we finally moved her to a nearby nursing home.
Last Sunday, Eldercare specialist Bunni Dybnis, MA, LMFT, spoke to the Sunday Mornings group about the different options that are available to us when we need to move out of our homes. At the outset she made it clear that level of care can vary in each state. Some states are much less expensive because of lower property values and minimum wages paid to caregivers. If you have limited funds, you may want to think about moving to another state.
What are your options?
Here are the different types of facilities that she talked about, with a brief description of each. To make it even more confusing, there are subsets for many of these categories. Some are available everywhere, others vary state by state. For more in-depth information, please watch the recording of the session here.
55+ Communities – friends who live in these communities say that it is like summer camp for Seniors. Live in your own home in the community. There are often golf courses, tennis, pickleball, gyms and many social activities.
Independent Living – an unlicensed facility that generally includes light housekeeping, meals and may include activities and transportation.
Assisted Living – a licensed community that helps seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living. Provides support for specific tasks as needed while maintaining and independent lifestyle. Meals, activities, housekeeping and other services are provided. Smaller Board and Care facilities are available in some states. Often more cost effective.
Memory Care – a specialized form of residential care designed for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia, including Parkinson’s related dementia.
Continuing Care Retirement Community – Combines many of the above in one facility. Many couples move in who need different levels of assistance from Assisted Living to Skilled Nursing.
Skilled Nursing – a licensed facility which is required to have registered nurses available 24 hours. Can provide transportation, rehabilitation, long term care.
Bunni also provided some helpful websites:
www.aginglifecare.org bunni@aginglifematters.com
https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/Search/All. You can use the Calif. DSS website to look up licensing reports, complaints, etc. Check to see if your state has a similar website.
benefitscheckup.org for Medicare benefits
Brain Games
Here is a timely article from Everyday Health about Brain Games to improve memory. Practice them daily. This might help keep you out of memory care facilities!
10 Brain Games and Other Activities That Boost Memory
Have a great week!
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