For some, holiday gatherings deliver an unwanted gift: the realization that an aging relative is losing the ability to live independently. When far-flung families come together to celebrate, adult children can be alarmed to discover that mom is forgetting more than she used to, dad is leaving the house in disarray, or auntie is now trembling and shuffling when she walks. No wonder inquiries about elder care services, including nursing homes and assisted living, peak annually just after the winter holidays.
The time has come to begin looking into options for long-term care.
?It?s definitely something that we see every year,? said Amy Goyer, AARP?s family expert. ?People start doing their homework right after the holidays.?
Goyer encourages families to avoid jumping to the conclusion that a residential institution like an assisted-living facility is necessary. ?Some people have a knee-jerk reaction,? she said.
But a stack of unopened mail could be just a sign of holiday stress, she said, rather than a symptom of inability to care for oneself with proper support. If a loved one is having trouble paying his bills on time, he might just need someone to handle his finances. If he has trouble getting in and out of the bathtub, families should consider having a walk-in shower built; if he isn?t eating right, they should consider Meals on Wheels; if the house is messy, they could have a housekeeper visit every week.
For some aging relatives, though, it may be time to consider an assisted-living facility or even a nursing home in the most serious circumstances, such as when a relative has a fall and suddenly needs around-the-clock care.
Inquiries made for senior care providers through one website, SeniorHomes.com, were on average 58 percent higher in the weeks after Christmas than in the weeks leading up to the holiday. That?s according to recent data released by the site, which features and advertizes long-term care providers and connects them with potential residents.
The data, collected from 2009 to 2011, show a spike in inquiries following Christmas day and continuing through January. Family members often asked managers for tours of facilities. But they didn?t necessarily conclude assisted living or another care option was needed immediately. In fact, says SeniorHomes.com CEO Chris Rodde, the rate of people moving into assisted-living facilities did not increase following the inquiries.
Even if mom or dad isn?t ready for such a drastic change, families shouldn?t wait to make these types of inquiries until after a loved one?s mental or physical capacity has diminished. ?For adult children it?s important to start asking the questions and to start the conversation with parents and siblings,? Rodde said. ?A lot of people avoid the conversation in the first place until things get really bad.?
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For senior home care in the Sacramento, Lodi, Stockton and other surrounding California areas, visit All For You Home Care.
Source: http://allforyouhomecare.com/is-it-time-to-find-elder-care-for-your-aging-parent/
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