Caring for Seniors Does Not Mean Nursing Homes

As our parents grow older, our relationship with them changes. A role reversal takes place and suddenly adult children become caregivers. This can create stress among both parties. For aging parents, they find themselves losing self-sufficiency and independents. Adult children now have the burden of caring for aging parents.

Whether it is providing transportation to the market, doctors' visits and the pharmacy, cooking meals, managing financial matters or cleaning, the relationship between each party changes fundamentally. In the past, these changes often resulted in the parent moving into a long term nursing home. Today there are many more, and oftentimes better, options available. This essay will look at the two best options.

In Home Care

In home care is growing option. Here, seniors do not need to even leave their own care. Here, caregivers stop by for a few ours or move in to provide care. They are available to drive seniors around to appointments or to the market. They can help cook meals help out around the house. For a senior who is not ready to leave home. This is ideal. By bringing in a part or full time caregiver, adult children are able to help take care of their parent's life without disrupting their own. There is a particularly good option if adult children have moved far away from home. If you are living on the other side of the country, having a set of eyes, ears, and hand you can trust can make all the difference.

Supportive/Assisted Living

Supportive or assisted living is the modern version of the nursing home. However, they do away with the hospital-style wards. Instead, seniors are able to live in their own apartments with a kitchen and their own furniture. Living spaces are designed with limited mobility and medical needs in mind. There is 24 hour staff on hand in case of emergency, daily activities, group dinners, and outing; all of the things that seniors need to thrive. If they want to stay at home and read or play bridge, either option is available. In many cases, if a senior can still drive, they can go out and about to see friends and family. Assisted and supportive living provides seniors with a safety net that their adult children cannot provide. An additional advantage supportive living has, is that they are often times connected to a traditional long term care nursing home. If something does happen, there is a medical team on hand. They are never too far away from their support system.