Please welcome guest blogger, Hazel Bridges, AgingWellness.org. In this post she discusses ways to plan for long-term care for seniors in decline.

Making Long-Term Care Decisions for Seniors in Decline

For caregivers who look after aging seniors in decline, it’s important to consider options for long-term care. This can be difficult during a pandemic. There are ways to research and find the right home or facility as COVID-19 eases up. Whether you need to help your loved one sell a home to make assisted living financially viable or need help so they can age in place in comfort, know that you have options.

Caregiver Burnout

It’s a common phenomenon for caregivers to become stressed and experience burnout. Caring for an aging senior can be emotionally and physically exhausting, especially if the senior has dementia or physical disabilities. As such, it’s important for caregivers to take a hard look at their capacity to continue as a support network for their aging senior; when the caregiver’s health is compromised, it’s time for the senior to move to an advanced care facility.

If you are a caregiver experiencing signs of burnout, consider some of these coping mechanisms—seek help from other caregivers, look after your own mental and physical health, and take breaks often. Additionally, building your skills can help you cope with the struggles of dementia care.

Choosing a Facility

As you consider options for your senior’s next home, take into account their ability to perform daily tasks such as bathing, meal preparation, cleaning, and taking medications. Many seniors will be able to thrive at home with the right home modifications, from bathroom safety to more space to navigate with a wheelchair.

You may also consider moving a senior loved one into your own home. Homeowners can often adjust their home for improved accessibility; renters may need to find an apartment more suitable to meet their and their senior’s needs. If you’re a renter, you may want to look at other apartments with the necessary accessibility features.

If your senior loved one needs more help with tasks, though, it’s likely they should be moving into an assisted living facility. And if your senior needs more advanced medical care in addition to help with daily tasks, they may benefit from moving to a nursing home. Be sure to do some research and determine which type of living arrangement is most appropriate.

Some assisted living facilities were hit hard by COVID-19, so while during your research, be sure to contact potential facilities and inquire about their experience with the virus. You should look for a facility that has great communication policies in order to quickly respond to potential virus outbreaks.

Selling a Home to Pay for Long-Term Care

For many caregivers, it will be necessary to help their senior loved one sell their home to help pay for assisted living. To start, you need to do the research. Find out if proceeds from the sale of a property are sufficient to cover long-term care and even medical expenses. Factor in any outstanding debt, mortgage balances, tax obligations, and more. Likewise, factor in the expected cost of care, then you should have a clear picture of what to expect.

It’s also an interesting time to sell a home, but it’s not impossible, especially if you have the assistance of a trusted real estate agent. Real estate agents should be able to help you list your home virtually by creating 3D walkthroughs and by offering video-chat tours to potential buyers. They can even host virtual open houses, which means you can show a house without having strangers enter the home. Some real estate agents will only allow in-person viewings to buyers who have been pre-approved for loans. Consider this option to keep out the casual buyers. If you are selling a home, virtual showings can help you get the job done without compromising the health of your senior loved one.

Making the Decision for Assisted Living

If you’re caring for a senior who is declining, or if you are showing signs of burnout, it may be time to consider assisted living for your loved one. There are different types of assisted living options depending on the level of care your senior needs. Determine their level of independence based on their ability to carry out daily tasks.

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Hazel Bridges is the creator of AgingWellness.org, a website that aims to provide health and wellness resources for aging seniors. She’s a breast cancer survivor. She challenges herself to live life to the fullest and inspire others to do so as well.