How to Make the Right Choice for Mom or Dad

http://free-health.cn/healthcare/articles/home_services_seniors_living.html

How to Make the Right Choice for Mom or Dad

It is always difficult enough to pick up roots and change residence, but when it involves moving your elderly parent out of their lifelong home, it can be heart wrenching. 

You are understandably worried that they will have a hard time adapting to their new environment, and you want to make sure you make the right choice for them. There are so many options available, and they are not limited to just the old folks' home as they once were. 

All of these new options help us find the solution for seniors' health and security.

In most cases, senior citizens don't want to be removed from their homes, and some actually decline in health when forced to do so. For just such a situation, families can now opt for In Home Services. 

A rather extensive menu of tasks can be provided for your parent ' such as shopping, yard work, housecleaning, cooking, errands and other necessities ' for a fee. 

This can be expensive, depending upon the amount of services that are needed, but is ideal for the family that can afford to do so, and also includes in-home medical attention, if needed.

For those who qualify, a new concept called Adult Foster Care may be available from local social services. The elderly remain in their own homes, with assistance from the agency in caring for themselves on a day to day basis. 

This assistance also includes housekeeping but may also extend to meal preparation and personal hygiene such as bathing, dressing, and other personal areas. You should contact your local Social Services for information.

If moving out of their own home isn't an issue, but they don't want to live in a specific seniors living facility, then a shared home environment might be best. 

In a case such as this, you might be able to find a homeowner that has the room and facilities to accommodate your elderly parent and, in some instances, are willing to perform certain services for them, such as the provision of food, housekeeping, errands, etc. 

Services of this type can often be negotiated into the cost of housing, but may only be offered on a fee-per-service basis by some.

Seniors have the opportunity to live independently, and have the company of like-minded seniors in another new concept that has been introduced into the area of senior care. 

These are called Senior Group Homes. Your parents are in a supervised environment, so there is less worry, which is an advantage. 

A group home would consist of a group of seniors who share one house and agree to share expenses. These expenses might include rent, meals, housekeeping, utilities and other common expenses, but not personal services.

Many seniors seek out an Independent Living Retirement Community. This is ideal for those who can ' and prefer to ' live independently, but are looking for a service package that will meet their needs in the areas of meals, housekeeping, security, transportation and activities. 

This type of option tends to be geared toward active seniors.

A step up from Independent Living Retirement Communities in terms of assistance rendered, are Assisted Living Facilities. 

These facilities provide an extra level of care such as personal care services. For example, assistance with medications, bathing, dressing and grooming are all available. 

For the less independent senior, this would be the ideal solution. Assisted Living Facilities can range in size from private homes to a large facility that approaches an institution in its design and the way it functions.

If an elder parent is disabled to such an extent that they need constant, ongoing medical care, a Nursing Home is probably the only option. 

The seniors living in these facilities have little independence, but the state of their health would not allow that in any case. 

A Nursing Home provides an environment and services that are closely monitored 24 hours a day. This is usually your last resort in finding care for your seniors.