Developing an Elder Care Plan

When an aging loved one reaches the point where they need the support of in-home care or an assisted living community, families often struggle to figure out how to begin developing an elder care plan. Geography, busy schedules and even a denial on the part of some adult children that anything is wrong may all present barriers.

If the family members of one of your clients or patients are grappling with this issue, here is a tip sheet you can share with them.

Finding an Elder Care Solution for an Aging Loved One

1. Schedule a quick meeting to first discuss the physical and mental changes you see in your loved one. The meeting can be in person, on a conference call or by utilizing a service such as Skype. Make sure you include people who see your loved one the most even if they aren’t family. It might be the next door neighbor that checks in every day
   or the cleaning service that comes once a week. The idea with this first meeting is to develop a list of tasks or specific care needs that your aging parent or loved one needs help with regularly.
2. Once you have a list of what they need assistance with, you can call a Senior Advisor like Senior Living Options. A Senior Advisor understands what each level of senior care offers and knows the best providers in their local area. Senior Living Options is unique, and as part of their service they accompany families on tours to communities. Also, most senior advisor services are free for families.
3. Once you and your Senior Advisor have developed a list of providers to consider, schedule – with the input of your family – a convenient time for personal tours and meetings. Senior Living Options has developed an Assisted Living Visit Checklist to help you know what questions to ask and what to look for during a tour.
4. After all in-person meetings have happened, it will probably be easier to narrow down the choices to those that seem like a good fit for your loved one. The next step will be to bring your senior loved one back for visits with their top choices. You want them to have enough options to feel as if they are making their own decision whenever possible, but not so many as to overwhelm them.

Has your family held an elder care planning meeting?
What advice can you offer to families?