Senior care is a necessity for many people, but the magnitude in which it is needed can be alleviated if you are willing to make some home improvements for the elderly loved ones in your life. Many seniors live with younger family members, and some live alone. Either way, by making some small changes to the home or apartment in which they are living can allow them to stay in their home for longer, especially if you are able to couple the modifications with professional in-home care.
The changes that you make do not need to be full fledged renovations to the house. Simple things, like installing a handrail on stairs or in the bathroom, can make life a lot easier. Other changes might include installing walkways that are safer for wheelchairs, ramps outside to make getting in and out of the house easier, and carpeting that cannot be tripped on. None of these require major changes, but they can be difficult if you are unsure of what you’re doing, and they will cost money to implement.
Whatever changes are made, make sure that they are done professionally and that they will hold up. If you are unsure of how to do these things yourself, hire a professional contractor or handyman to do them. Installing a flimsy bar to help your mom or dad get out of the shower will only lead to an injury down the road. You may need to spend a little more upfront to get the desired result, but when it’s done right, you will never need to fix it or repair it in the future, and injuries will be completely avoided in these areas. This is a peace of mind that you cannot put a pricetag on.
However, if affording these changes is a problem for you and your family, there are certain programs out there that can help you. Medicaid waivers are designed to help elderly individuals that qualify for Medicaid (or Medi-Cal, if you’re in California), but do not wish to be placed in a nursing home. This is based upon monetary resources so not everyone will qualify, but it can help offset the costs of fixing up a home. This route is much cheaper for the state, so it’s definitely worth looking at as they are probably more than willing to help you..
Another consideration is looking into whether or not HUD can help. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has resources that you may never have considered, and they might be able to help your elderly loved one, depending upon their location and income. These typically come in the form of a loan from a private lender, but they are simple to obtain because HUD insures them. If the upgrades that you need to make are a bit out of your immediate price range, a HUD backed loan could be the right course of action for you. Before you borrow money, make sure that it is right for your family’s finances first. Even if you do need to take out a loan, the loan principal plus interest could end up being far cheaper than a year in a nursing home in most cases.
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