A recent article in Fortune Magazine reported that most baby boomers cannot afford assisted living and are staying in their homes. At least that is the plan.
Wanting to remain independent in one’s home is preferable, but not always realistic. As boomers age and develop health problems and mobility issues, staying in their homes can be risky. The cost of community living facilities, such as assisted living, is on the rise, as is the cost of living. Making the right, safest, and most cost-effective decisions for where to live when one ages is complicated.
To add confusion to this dilemma, family members often disagree about what is practical, desired, and prudent when weighing where an aging parent or senior should live. Adult children, especially if they live far away, often see their parents’ decline before the parents are willing to. A visit to see mom or dad can make a family member panic by observing telltale signs such as an empty refrigerator, expired food items, dangerous stairs, clutter, an unkempt home, or unfilled pill boxes.
To mitigate the discordant situation, worried kids often call Geriatric Case Managers as skilled third parties. Evaluations, assessments, and an exam to determine a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health will give a clear picture of their needs and the appropriate care they require to stay safely in their home.
Sometimes, a caregiver providing grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and filling pill boxes is a solution. More often, home health services, PT, OT, and medication evaluations are required to ensure the senior has adequate services to stay safely in their homes, giving peace of mind to all involved. In the long run, with good oversight and health care management, staying in the family home for as long as possible can be financially prudent. As a nurse case management service, we believe preventative care is key to preventing disastrous events like falls and undiagnosed healthcare problems. Our goal is to keep mom and dad safe, out of the hospital, and as independent as possible.