Being together during the holidays is a fantastic time to catch up and an ideal time to have discussions about long-term care planning with older parents. Having an honest and open conversation around elderly care needs, home modifications and finances is very important to help meet the wishes of senior loved ones.
Hearts at Home In-Home Care, a top-rated provider of home care assistance in Overland Park, KS and the surrounding areas, has compiled some important questions for you to cover during the conversation:
- Would you like to continue to live at home as you grow 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 case with your parents, think through any changes which need to take place to allow that desire to become a reality: home modifications and the general layout of the house, as well as a plan for support if a disability, chronic illness, or simply the challenges of aging make it tough to stay safe and independent.
- What community services, amenities, and organizations would you like to continue to access? Naturally, your mother and father will have to be able to get groceries and other essential supplies and keep up with medical appointments and procedures, but identify what else will be important to them as they grow older, such as going to religious services, nail and/or hair salon appointments, sporting events, visits with neighbors and friends, etc. How will they carry on with these activities and tasks if they become unable to drive?
- How will the cost for any long-term care needs be covered? Personal finances are often a sensitive matter to broach with your aging parents, yet it’s important to make sure that a plan is in place to meet future needs. If it 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 can review savings, investments, retirement funds, insurance, estate planning, etc. and create a strategy to pay for any prospective expenses associated with aging care.
- Who is in your network of support? It is a smart idea to come up with a list of your parents’ close friends, neighbors, and other loved ones who will be open to assist 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 develops, and then share the list with anyone who might have the need to get in touch with them (including those on the list themselves).
At Hearts at Home In-Home Care, we work with seniors and their families in Overland Park and the surrounding area as they plan for long-term care needs. Because our home care services are highly customized, we can begin providing assistance in only a few areas, for just a couple of hours each week, such as help with meals, housekeeping, and running errands, and then add in additional support over time if needed.
Contact our aging care experts at 913-440-4209 for the trusted support your senior parents need to stay safe, comfortable, and thriving at home for a lifetime. We are always available to answer any questions you may have, and to schedule a no-cost in-home assessment to share more about our top-rated home care assistance in Overland Park, KS and the surrounding areas.