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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.
A new concept called Adult Foster Care may be available for those who
qualify from local social services. With help from the agency in caring for
themselves on a day to day basis, the elderly are able to remain in their
own homes. This help includes housekeeping but may also extend to preparing
meals and assisting with personal hygiene such as bathing, and dressing. The
Social Services Department of your local government can give you
information.
Sometimes the elderly person does not mind moving out of their own home, but
don't like the solution of a "senior citizens home". In this case, sharing a
home with a family may be the perfect solution. If you are able to locate a
homeowner who has an extra room in a house that has proper facilities, they
may be willing to earn income by providing services for your parents. As
above, this may include the provision of food, housekeeping, errands, etc.
Services of this type are usually negotiated into the cost of housing, or
may be on a fee-per-service basis.
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. That is the 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.
Assisted Living Facilities are a step up from Independent Living Retirement
Communities, in terms of assistances rendered. These facilities provide a
higher level of care such as personal care services. Seniors there can
receive assistance with medications, bathing, dressing and grooming as well
as non-personal services. For the less independent senior, this is an the
ideal solution. These facilities can range in size a private home to a large
facility that approaches the size of an institution in 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 that is closely monitored 24 hours a day. This is usually your
last resort in eldercare.
Written by Antone Sperane, the webmaster of Yo Senior. For
further details please visit http://www.yosenior.com/
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