Planning for the Future: Long Term Care for Seniors

Being together during the holidays is a fantastic time to catch up and the perfect time to have discussions about long-term care for seniors. Having an honest and open discussion around care needs, home modifications and finances is important to help meet the wishes of senior parents.

Morning Glory Home Care has compiled some important questions about long-term care for seniors that you can cover during the conversation:

1. Would you like to continue to live at home as you get older, or consider a move elsewhere? The majority of older adults desire to remain at home throughout aging over a move to a nursing home or assisted living facility, or moving in with adult children. If this is the situation with your parents, consider any changes which need to happen to allow that desire to become a reality: house modifications along with the overall layout of the home, as well as a plan for support if a chronic illness, disability, or simply the challenges of aging make it difficult to stay safe and independent.
2. What community services, amenities, and organizations do you want to continue to access? Of course, your mother and father will need to be able to get groceries and other essential supplies and keep up with medical appointments and procedures, but find out what else may be important to them as they get older, such as going to religious services, nail and/or hair salon appointments, sporting events, visits with neighbors and friends, etc. How will they keep up with these activities and tasks if they become incapable of driving?
3. How will the cost of any long-term care needs be covered? In many cases, finances are a sensitive matter to broach with your aging parents, but it’s important to make certain that a plan is in place to meet future needs. If this hasn’t been done already, now is the perfect time for you to be sure that your parents have specified a power of attorney and met with a financial planner who is able to review savings, investments, retirement funds, insurance, estate planning, etc. and develop a strategy to pay for any prospective expenses linked to aging care.
4. Who is in your network of support? It’s a good idea to assemble a list of your parents’ close friends, neighbors, and other loved ones who are open to provide assistance in the event of an unexpected emergency or simply as your parents’ abilities change through aging. Prioritize the list in the order your parents would like them to be contacted if a need occurs, and then share the list with anyone who could have the need to reach out to them (including those on the list themselves).

At Morning Glory Home Care, a Highland senior care and in-home care provider for the surrounding areas, we work with older adults and their families as they plan for long-term care needs. Because our home care services are highly personalized, we can begin providing assistance in only a couple of areas, for just a few hours weekly, such as help with housekeeping, meals, and running errands, and you can add in additional support over time as needed.

Contact our aging care experts at 618-667-8400 for the trusted support your senior parents need to stay safe, comfortable, and thriving at home for a lifetime. We’re always available to answer any questions you may have or to schedule a free in-home consultation. Visit our Service Area page for a full list of the communities where we provide care.