Be prepared ahead of time. Even if care is not immediate, go look. Visit your loved one as often as you can to evaluate their abilities and needs. You want to plan way ahead.
When your loved one can no longer stay at home safely, it is best to do your homework, be prepared and plan ahead of an emergency. It is not “IF” a situation may come up or not, but “when”. Be prepared ahead of time. Even if care is not immediate, go look. Visit your loved one as often as you can to evaluate their abilities and needs. You want to plan way ahead.
Is your loved one paying on their own? This is referred to as “private pay”. Is there Long Term Care Insurance, VA Benefits, investments or a home to sell? Are they going on Medicaid and when? What area of town do they want to be in? Are there friends or relatives that want to visit? These are very important considerations.
Many times, when life happens, a senior may end up in the hospital followed by rehabilitation when you get a call that your loved one needs a “higher level of care” than what they are getting at home. If you have done your homework, you will be ready.
If not, don’t worry there are plenty great placement services available for FREE. There are several different types of Placement Services; National, Local, Referral and Full-Service. For those that want to do things on their own a National or Referral may be great. They provide a list and off you go. However, you may need or want additional assistance and that is where a Local Full-Service may be better since they know the local communities. Some may have actual long-term care experience so they can answer medical or care questions easier. They will meet with you and the senior, then take you to see what is available.
When working with a Placement Service it is best to work with that ONE agency. Some placement agencies offer additional services at no additional charge. These Full-Service Senior Placement agencies can be very beneficial when the family is visiting from out of town and they discover that there is a need to move and they are only in town for a short while. A Full-Service Senior Placement agency can offer a lot of things behind the scenes for you to minimize the impact on your family and the senior. Best of all, agencies provide their services to the senior and their families for FREE.
Shop around, educate yourself as to what is best for you and your loved one. Ask for details. You got this.
Article Provided by:
Alternative Options for Elderly Care, LLC
360-213-9167
www.Alt-opts.com
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