Don’t you wish your parents came with an instruction manual? When you were young, your parents likely uttered a very similar phrase in regards to you; wondering how to keep you happy and safe, comfort you when things went wrong and care for you when you were sick.

Visiting adult family homes is a great way to get to know what you can expect for the elder needing care. Not only will you want to pay attention to the building and the surroundings, you’ll also want to make the effort to acquaint yourself with the owner and their staff.

When a family member or friend first moves into an assisted living or care community, people tend to want to visit frequently. Anxiety, fear and guilt may cause family members to be overly diligent during the first one to three months after a loved one makes this big move.

Many people find it difficult to ask someone outside their immediate family to assist in providing the necessary care. By transferring some of the care responsibilities to professional caregivers, the family finds that this is exactly what they need in order to be of continued emotional support to their loved one.

When families are faced with the idea of moving a parent from their long-time residence to an assisted living community they are often overwhelmed. There isn’t always the luxury of considering all of the options. All too often this decision will have to be made in crisis mode.

A person’s energy level, physical frailty, sight, hearing, reactions to medications, illness and disease all affect a person’s ability to be stable on their feet.

There are many different types of senior housing and care options available. The sheer variety and the terminology can be confusing. In this document we try to explain the major types of housing and care that are out there.

The choice to move into a senior living community is as individual as the person making the decision. There is no clear-cut, step-by-step template that tells people exactly when it is time to consider a senior living community, whether that be an independent living community, assisted living community or nursing home.

By making the move to a care community earlier in the process rather than later, the elder has a greater likelihood of returning to a level of comfortable routine within the new environment. And, as the memory loss increases, there are new friends, staff and support systems in place to help assist with changing needs.

You’ve seen it coming on for years; Mom can’t keep up the yard, but doesn’t want to pay a lawn service. She worries every time she pulls the car out to go to church or the grocery store. She’s just not sure of herself. Here’s the woman who could single-handedly put on a Thanksgiving feast for 20 and have it all come to the table at the same time but now she isn’t eating well because cooking for one is just too much of a hassle.