Friday, April 13, 2012

Senior Homes, Online Resource

A few years ago, a close friend of mine found herself making some very tough decisions. Her mother was at a place in her life where she needed some looking after, and needed to move out of her home of many years. There was a need to quickly find a place for her to live and how do you do that with peace of mind knowing that you have chosen the right place? I remember the hours she spent on the phone and driving to different locations to visit care facilities. Then the agony of taking her mom with her to see the ones she had picked and the look of fear on her moms face as she questioned the validity of the staff’s friendliness and if she really needed to move at all. Yes, times like this are trying.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could predict our futures, the physical and mental places we will be years down the road? Wouldn’t it be great if we were responsible, planning people who are well prepared for our futures so our loved ones won’t have to do it for us? I hope that if and when the time comes that I can no longer be on my own, I can graciously let go and realize I’ve had my time, and accept with peace and grace that this too is part of my continuing story. I hope to be prepared for that future as much as possible.

If you or a family member is at a place where it might be time for a change, don’t wait until the last minute when communication may have become impossible. Have that conversation; get it all out in the open. You need to know all the resources available to help you make the right decisions. Sometimes gathering information gives you answers to important questions you hadn’t thought to ask. There are Internet resources available to you and this is any easy way to research in comfort at your computer.

Senior Homes is one such online directory resource that can help with all kinds of information about senior housing or senior care in your area. There are many articles you can read there about  assisted living facilities, 55 and over communities, retirement homes, nursing homes, convalescent care, hospice, memory care, adult day care and the list goes on and on. At Senior Homes there are checklists for your search, possible sources for funds to pay for assisted living, a list of FAQ, anything you might want you will find on this site.

They also have advice on how to start a conversation about assisted care with your loved one. If you prefer to talk to a person, a phone number is listed so you can call them. At the bottom of their website page, you will see a tab for their blog*, which has several new articles every week. Even if you don’t have a parent who needs this help, how about for yourself? Get prepared for your future; don’t leave these important decisions for someone else.


*The opinions are my own; I have not been compensated for this post.
Copyright© Family Home and Life 2012 All Rights Reserved

2 comments:

  1. We faced this situation with my mom. We didn't have too many choices as we wanted to keep her in our hometown, and there were only 6-8 facilities available. We were able to determine which was the best for her fairly quickly. I have told my children not to agonize over this decision when it is time for me to go. I do not want my children taking care of me once I need daily care.

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  2. Yes, I don’t want my kids to wonder what to do with me either. I’m thinking of writing my wishes, instructions and important info all down and making copies for my kids. Then having a family gathering to discuss it all, in a fun way. I want to keep communication light and open up avenues for talking together about it before there is a problem.

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