What is the price of peace of mind? Can you even put a price tag on something like that?
When it comes to the future, peace of mind is an abstract and hard to define term. Even if you have a good idea of what your loved one’s needs are now, predicting how things might change in the future is difficult. Just look at what’s gone on over the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic if you need further evidence that unexpected things can happen. Planning for the unexpected is almost impossible.
But when it comes to senior care, you can still plan ahead in an effective way. Understanding how to prepare for the future and protect the safety and health of those that you love is important. You may not know all the details of what the future might hold, but you can certainly still be prepared. Knowing who the senior care providers in your community are, and having a basic understanding of what they do and do not provide is a really good start.
For example, not every senior care provider includes medical care. This is typically provided at a nursing home or a hospital, but not within an assisted living facility. As a result, nursing homes tend to be much more expensive than non-medical care.
In-home care can be both medical or non-medical in nature. Most of the time, you will hear the medical side of things referred to as “home health care,” but not always. Again, knowing what is available in your area is the key.
Once you know this, you can more easily prepare for the future. You can’t always determine which direction an older loved one’s health might turn, but knowing that you’re going to go with provider A if they stay on their current course of health, but will consider provider B if an emergency occurs is important. It allows you to prepare for costs, explain to your parent how your plan works in their best interests, and allows them to provide greater feedback and control over their own health.
More elderly folk rely on some sort of senior care than ever before. Recent statistics indicate that about 60 percent of those that are 65 or older will need long term care at some point in their lives. Only fifteen years ago, that statistic stood below 50 percent. People are living longer than before, and the wide variety of types of care are helping to make sure that those years are a higher quality. The nursing home is not the only option out there. In fact, recent trends show that alternative types of care, like in-home care, are growing quickly in popularity. As families look for more practical ways to help their older loved ones, these once little-used types of care have become ideal solutions.
Planning ahead doesn’t have to be scary. Please feel free to contact us and take advantage of our free consultation service if you’re not quite sure where to turn next. It’s a great first step toward helping your loved ones as they age.
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