Nursing homes are a great alternative, but it isn’t for everyone. Before making a decision on the matter, here are some pros and cons to consider.
Advantages:
The elderly value their social lives and prefer to be around people their age. Most nursing homes keep their residents on a busy schedule, with recreational and interactive activities that foster their sense of community.
Majority of nursing homes are staffed with doctors and nurses who are on call 24/7. This is a big advantage if you have a parent with a medical condition that needs constant monitoring.
Accidents in the home or break-ins are just a couple of safety concerns for aging parents. Nursing homes have been outfitted to house the elderly and provide them with comfort as well as security.
Disadvantages:
Nursing homes do focus on building community spirit among its residents. However, for elderly persons, they’re still not family. Aging parents who are bed-ridden or suffering from dementia often want to be looked after by their own. The lack of family presence often leaves the elderly lonely and depressed.
These facilities have trained personnel and come at a cost, this is why most nursing homes charge their residents steep fees. Ideally, your parents would have saved for their retirement, but if this is something you and other family members would be paying for, the cost can burn deep holes in your pockets.
One disadvantage of leaving your parents in budget nursing homes is the lack of trained personnel to watch over the residents. Unlike bigger nursing homes, there are other facilities that are sadly lacking in upkeep and manpower.
After weighing the pros and cons of nursing homes, it is ideal to have a heart to heart talk with your aging parent. Ask for their opinion and how they would feel about staying in a nursing home. If they don’t agree to it, there are plenty of other options that can be explored.
Often children are faced with the dilemma of how to best care for their aging parents. The situation becomes more complicated if one parent has already passed, leaving the other to fend for her or himself. However, most parents still want to live independently and do not always welcome the idea of moving in with [...]
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Making a move requires thinking in terms of benefits and tradeoffs. To move from a current living situation to a different living situation requires giving something up in order to gain something else. If you are considering the possibility of a move, chances are a move is past due, as the majority of people tend [...]
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Assisted living is a type of living arrangement in which you receive personal care such as meals, housekeeping, transportation and assistance with activities of daily living are available as needed. Unlike nursing homes, residents in assisted living remain independent. Assistance with daily activities may include help with bathing, dressing, diapering, medicating or help moving from one place to another. Also, an important aspect of assisted living is to provide security, comfort and engaging activities for the residents.
Assisted living fills a gap between home care and nursing homes. The alternative of assisted living provides a more homelike environment for people needing or anticipating help with activities of daily living or incidental activities of daily living but for which 24-hour nursing care is not a necessity.
Instead of the hospital environment of a nursing home, assisted living facilities look more like apartment buildings with private rooms or suites and locked doors. There is a help desk as opposed to a nurse station. And instead of a hospital-like lounge area and sterile cafeteria, assisted living has gathering areas with couches, fireplaces, gardens, atriums, etc. Central dining areas look more like banquet rooms and often offer entertainment during or after mealtimes. Meaningful activities and chats with neighbors in pleasant surroundings, keep residents active and stimulated. Frequent outings are also planned. And transportation is available to residents who can’t drive.
When we begin to consider the idea of moving a family member to an assisted living community, the benefits of living there are not always crystal clear. Though we know older adults will be safer and have more friends around, activities to keep them busy and perhaps someone to take them to the doctor, every resident will benefit a little differently. The real benefits will become apparent to the resident and his or her family only after they have actually lived in a community for several months. Talk it through and make the right choice for you and your family.
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]]>Many older people have strong attachments to their homes related to the length of residence. It often represents the place where they raised their families and a lifetime of memories. It also connects them to an array of familiar persons such as neighbors, nearby places and community services. In addition, the home can represent for [...]
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Regular conversations about what the future holds are important and best done when they are in a good state of mind. No matter the age of your parent, this is an important conversation that needs to be had. It is difficult for both parent and child. If you open the lines of communication early, it becomes less stressful when the topic arises. Parents tend to hide things from their adult children because they don’t want to scare them or become a burden. Yet, if they see you are trying to help and are genuinely concerned about their well being it can make a huge difference.
It may be inevitable to have the conversation about assisted living or aging in place with help. The ideal time to talk about options is before there is a need. But more often, we see changes that spark the conversation. There are many warning signs that you can look out for. If you notice some of them, then it is definitely time to talk. They may include:
- Unexplained bruising
- Difficulty with walking, balance and mobility
- Uncertainty and confusion when performing once-familiar tasks
- Forgetfulness
- Noticeable decline in grooming habits and personal care
- Stacks of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox
- Poor diet or weight loss
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
- Changes in mood or extreme mood swings
If the parent begins to show signs of warming up to the topic, be empathetic but urge action. Don’t stop at just discussing it make, an appointment to visit a senior facility. Talk with someone about the options they may have and come to a decision. It will be a process, but worth it in the end for both parent and child.
WPFSI’s Circle of Life program can help West Philly community members learn to handle some of these issues – from how to find community resources, working with the family members and even options for providing home loans to keep a home in good repair and help make an aging in place more possible while preserving family assets. The next Circle of Life presentation will be held on Thursday, December 19th from 10-11:30am. It will be held at West Philadelphia Senior Community Center, 1016 N 41st, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
By Shonte D. Eley, Administrative Assistant for WPFSI. She has been in the Nonprofit industry for over 10 years and has her Master’s in Public Administration.
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]]>Your Biggest Asset... Your Home! Have you thought about leaving your home to your heirs? Yes, the home that's been in your family for years? Your residence is probably your most important asset. It is where you and your family feel safe and warm, and connected to each other. In early life, it’s a place full [...]
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Have you thought about leaving your home to your heirs? Yes, the home that’s been in your family for years? Your residence is probably your most important asset. It is where you and your family feel safe and warm, and connected to each other. In early life, it’s a place full of possibilities, full of dreams.
For those in their later years, it’s a time to decide how to go about leaving your home to your children (or desired heirs). Olivia Stoner Esq, can discuss what method of transferring property to your heirs works best with your goals and overall estate plan. She gives us a brief summary of various transfer methods:
Title your home jointly with your children with rights of survivorship.
- Advantage: Your children automatically inherit the home when you die.
- Disadvantage: You will need your children’s consent if you wish to sell the house. You will be entitled to half or less of the proceeds depending on the percentage you and your children own respectively.
- Disadvantage: For Medicaid purposes, this may be considered a gift and therefore create a period of ineligibility for benefits. Deed your home to your children, reserving a life estate for yourself.
Deed your home to your children, reserving a life estate for yourself.
- Advantage: Your children own the home when you die.
- Disadvantage: You will need your children’s consent if you want to sell the house. You will be entitled to a minor percentage of the proceeds, based on the value of your life estate.
- Disadvantage: For Medicaid purposes, this may be considered a gift and create a period of ineligibility for benefits. Place the house in an enhanced deed (also known as a ladybird deed), you retain the home for the rest of your life, and you have full rights to sell it or give it away while you’re alive.
Place the house in an enhanced deed (also known as a ladybird deed), you retain the home for the rest of your life, and you have full rights to sell it or give it away while you’re alive.
- Advantage: The children automatically inherit the home at your death.
- Disadvantage: This arrangement may not be acceptable to some lenders and title insurance companies. This could make it difficult to sell or refinance the home. Stay tuned for more details in the next issue of WPFSI’s “Street Scenes”!
Olivia H. Stoner is a Probate and Estate Planning attorney. For more information contact Olivia H. Stoner via email at ohstoner@aol.com or at 2112 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 557-0097.
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