You may have heard the term “snowbirds” before. This is a word used to describe people that live in the northern portion of the United States that spend the winter months in the south. It’s not as common of an occurrence to see this happen in San Francisco and the Bay Area in general, but in New England, New York, Washington, and Oregon, it happens with a lot more frequency. These are usually individuals who have recently retired and who do not want to deal with inclement weather any more.
And this is perfectly fine. One of the perks of being retired is that there’s a lot more freedom that goes along with it than what people have when they are tied down in one spot by a career and young children.
The problem arises when these individuals need medical care and they are not in a place where they can easily receive it. Or in a similar light, when something traumatic happens, such as a stroke or a broken hip or leg due to a fall, and senior care of some variety is a necessity.
Here, we have some suggestions for you or an elderly loved one who might find themselves in need of care while away from a permanent home. This can be applied to snowbirds, or anyone else that finds themselves in a similar situation.
Have a Plan
First and foremost, you need to plan ahead. The older we get, the more likely we are to need assistance of some sort. If you have a plan in place for your mom or dad while they are away, there is a much lesser chance that there will be confusion if care is needed. For example, if your dad injures himself on the beach and needs to get rehab work done, it should be well known under what conditions this should take place and where it should happen. On top of this, these plans need to be shared with relevant members of the family who can speak up and act as an advocate for your loved one.
Know What Type of Care is Appropriate
Rehabilitation care for a broken leg is going to be much different than senior care given to someone with Alzheimer’s disease. In some instances, simple in-home care once or twice a week might be all that is needed. In other cases, the institutionalized care that a nursing home provides might be necessary. Now, we know that your parent values their independence. After all, they’ve worked hard to get to this point in their life, and they deserve to have the fun that they’ve been craving. But there are situations where things like a nursing home or assisted living must be instituted for their health or safety. Knowing what types of care are best for the situation you find yourself in will help make this process easier.
Know Where Care Should be Given
Is your mom or dad going to receive care while away or are they going to come back home? In some situations, the latter might not be realistic. However, we have observed that if possible, most people thrive in familiar situations, especially when memory care is involved. If this is possible, it is what you should be going for.
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