What Happens if Mom and Dad Have Different Senior Care Needs?
When it comes to senior care, no situation is exactly the same. This also includes the needs of your parents. So while your parents may be aging together, they could be aging differently.
Different chronic conditions affect men and women, and other circumstances can impact a person’s health. It is common for Mom and Dad to have different health or care needs, so what happens if this is the case? How do you find the right community and care solutions for each of them? This can be especially challenging if your parents want to remain together.
Fortunately, this is the perfect time to consider a Life Plan Community. If living and aging together is a priority for your parents, it can be accomplished with the help of a continuing care community like Uplands Village. Our Tennessee community offers a wide range of senior care services to ensure that each of your parents’ needs are met.
To help you through the process of figuring out what to do when Mom and Dad have different senior care needs, we are sharing a few tips to guide you.
Research Your Options
The first step, and arguably the most important, is to do your research. It is crucial that you understand what levels of senior care are available and which one each of your parents needs or would benefit from the most.
For example, if Mom is still active but could benefit from not having to worry about cooking and cleaning, independent living would be a good option for her. On the other hand, if Dad needs some support with the activities of daily living, like getting dressed in the morning, a transition into assisted living could be an ideal solution.
Think about these key areas when assessing your parents’ needs:
- Home safety
- Medical needs
- Cognitive health
- Mobility
- Personal hygiene
- Meal preparation
- Social interaction
How much assistance are they currently getting in each category, and how much help do they realistically need to stay safe and healthy? Once you understand what type of senior care each of your parents needs on an individual level, you can start to look into communities equipped to meet both of their needs.
Start Planning
Planning is essential as this process can take time. The sooner you begin planning for senior care, the better off Mom and Dad will be when they start to need a greater level of care. If you wait until one of your parents needs additional care or an emergency occurs, your options will be more limited, and the move could feel rushed. Additionally, it could be challenging to find options that accommodate both of them if a decision has to be made quickly.
During this step, you also want to consider the financial aspect so that you only focus on communities and options within your parents’ budget.
Choosing a Life Plan Community
Choosing a Life Plan Community like Uplands Village means that your mom and dad can continue to age together. Because communities like ours offer a continuum of care, residents can safely age in place. This means that no matter how a person’s senior care or health needs change in the future, they do not have to move to a different senior living community.
Not only is this good for them as a couple, but it also benefits any new friendships and relationships they form in their new home. There are endless socialization opportunities at Uplands Village, and because residents never have to worry about transitioning to a different community, the friendships they form are for life.
At Uplands Village, we offer a continuum of care to suit every lifestyle, including:
- Independent living
- Assisted living
- Memory care
- Skilled nursing care
- Home healthcare
- Long-term tare
- Short-term rehabilitation
Learn more about the benefits of choosing a Life Plan Community by downloading our free eBook, “Why Choose a Life Plan Community?”
By choosing Uplands Village, your mom and dad are able to age and live together no matter what their health needs are now or how they may change or differ in the future. If you would like to learn more about the services and amenities we offer in our Tennessee community, we invite you to visit our website or contact a member of our team.