Picture this scenario.
You’re on vacation with your family, enjoying a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Your cell phone rings. It’s the local hospital where you live. Your elderly mother has taken a bad fall and is being treated for some bumps and bruises. The fall is a reliable indicator that she is now in no condition to return to her home, where she lives alone, and that a transition to an assisted or long term care facility is necessary.
Then the anxiety starts to creep in and you get that sinking feeling - you don’t have a place for her to go because you don’t have a plan. She is suddenly not able to take care of herself in her own home and you have nothing set in place.
As senior living care advisors, we’ve seen this scenario play out far too many times - frantic and stressed out families desperately trying to find a facility for their elderly parent. They more often than not end up settling for a location that isn’t a great fit or is farther away than is convenient for family members to make regular visits. The guilt, anxiety, and stress - both emotional and financial - caused by this situation is something we don’t wish upon any family.
So how can you avoid this happening to you? Get a plan in place!
Our first piece of advice - start touring facilities ahead of time. Even if your parent is currently capable of living alone and things are relatively fine, checking out places ahead of time will give you more flexibility and time to choose the perfect place for your family member. Plus, tours are free!
After you’ve picked the facility, the next step is actually reserving a spot. Depending on the place, you may have to put down a deposit. This will secure you a room or a spot on their waitlist. Some facilities don’t require a deposit to reserve a spot on their waitlist. Most likely you will also have to fill out an application and other necessary paperwork, and it’s common for facilities to check in with you from time to time about the status of your reservation and how close your parent is to needing to move in. If you don’t hear from the facility consistently, we recommend being proactive and contacting them every three or so months to confirm your reserved spot.
Remember, having a plan in place is like having a good insurance policy - in the event that something unfortunate happens, you can rest assured that your parent will be able to move into the assisted living facility of their choice as soon as they need to.
What are some other reasons to get a plan in place?
Being on the same page with your siblings.
Another challenging situation we have encountered is when siblings aren’t able to agree on a facility quickly. There is no plan in place and on top of this, the adult children of a person in need of care are not on the same page when it comes to where their parent should be. In our experience, lots of time - where siblings can feel like they have some breathing room and freedom to express their concerns and opinions with each other without being under the gun - is the biggest factor in resolving this issue.
Avoiding sticker shock.
The facility you choose may be costly. But having the price years ahead of time allows you and your family to budget and potentially find financial solutions to make it work, as opposed to having a big bill in front of you at the last minute (that you may not be able to afford). It’s a no-brainer!
It’s important to take care of your future.
You wouldn’t neglect your healthcare, so why leave your senior care out in the cold? Just like having health insurance, making sure you find a place for you to transition to that is a good fit is a smart investment in your future as well as your future health and happiness. We work with clients in their 60s who are already being proactive about planning for their golden years, and the peace of mind we see them achieve is something we wish for everyone.
Do you have questions? We love to help families navigate through the process of securing a caring place for their parents to transition.
Contact us today at 207-569-3283 or email us at info@coastaltransitionsofmaine.com.