Many families struggle to make decisions about the best living situation for their aging parent. Most seniors, if given the choice, would choose to remain in their own home for as long as possible, and most families want to respect that choice.
What is it that makes staying home possible? This is very subjective and varies in each situation. Many family members or caregivers have a threshold - an event in which they know that living at home is no longer an option, yet others are absolute in their commitment to keep their loved one at home no matter the circumstances.
There are many options, some of which people don't always think about:
Costs
Living at home may not always be the best option, when you factor in the cost of maintaining a home such as;
- mortgage [if applicable]
- taxes
- insurance
- utilities
- water/sewer/trash costs
- upkeep of all of the major components
- the lawn, etc.,
and when you add in the cost of nursing care from an outside agency to care for your loved one in there home, in many circumstances it will be as much or possibly more than the cost of an assisted living facility [$6-$8,000 in NJ and $4-$7,000 in MD]. [we just placed a client of ours into a very nice assisted living facility in Burlington, NJ for about the same cost of them staying at home and receiving care.
Medicaid - another factor is Medicaid, in New Jersey [and some other states], Medicaid will pay for the costs of an assisted living community. Although Medicaid will also pay for the costs of in-home care from some agencies, it will not cover all of the other costs associated with owning your home or renting.
Benefits of Assisted Living
In an assisted living community, there is 24-hour access to personal care and seniors can enjoy social contact, security and support while still maintaining their independence.
additional benefits are;
- Access to physical activity and fitness
- intellectual stimulation
- Social activity
- a safe living environment
- supervised and healthy nutrition
- housekeeping and transportation
- assistance with activities of daily living [eating, bathing, dressing, etc.]
- independent living, assisted living facilities, many times, will have individual apartments for seniors, they don't always have to share a room.
These are just a few things to consider when deciding on living arrangements for aging parents, ultimately the choice will be yours to make.
Questions about senior living? Do you have an aging parent who needs assistance with living arrangements or facility placement? Contact us today
