Helping Your Loved One Find the Right Community from Afar

As your parents age, there are many areas of support they may need you to provide. Although you live long distance, your loved ones may have a difficult time with normal everyday activities of life and require you to provide guidance that will aid them in making the right decision for their long-term care.
While you may not know where to start while searching long-distance for the right assisted living facility in Pueblo West, there are ways to make this process easier. Here are six tips that will help guide you while you support your loved one to find the right care when and if they need it.

Search Online to Find Retirement Communities in Their Area

Being prepared helps to reduce the stress and anxiety that can accompany helping care for an aging parent long distance. To make this process easier and provide the support they need, it’s important to speak with your parents about what’s important to them and where they would like to live. Would they rather live at home with support for as long as possible or would they prefer to live in a residential care home designed for people who need support with activities of daily living? What would make them most comfortable? What services would they like to have provided and what type of care do they believe they will need? It’s also important to ask questions that will help provide guidance as to the level of care that best meets their medical needs.
Speaking with our parents about aging and their care needs is not always an easy conversation to have. However, communicating in advance about what matters to them and what they value, is crucial. Speak with your loved ones and hear their thoughts about what they would want should they need an assisted living residential care home in Colorado. Asking your loved one questions about what is important to them will help you provide the best guidance and support you can long distance.

Finding an Assisted Living Community

1. Schedule a call with your parents and have them conduct an online search on “assisted living communities near me” to gather information about the options available to them. If they are not able to conduct research on their own, offer to do so and share with them the information you have found.
2. Review what each community has to offer given the information provided on their website and click on the ‘Contact Us’ button or link to start a conversation and gather additional information your parents may need.
3. Create a list of communities, their services, amenities, and pricing so that you can compare what each has to offer. Consider what is important to your loved one and create a list of questions not addressed on the website that you would like to ask.
4. Call or schedule a tour at the communities your parents are most interested in learning more about and those they believe would best meet their needs. Speaking with and touring the assisted living communities on your list allows you and your parents to meet the care staff and provides great insight to ensure your questions are answered.

Understand the Costs Associated with Care

Understanding the costs of an assisted living home is important. Every community is different, and some residential care homes include services and amenities others may not. It is important to know the types of care your parents want and don’t want, and their associated costs so that you can determine what the long-term care costs will be.

Consider how your family will handle these payments when the time comes. Ask your parents if they have long term care insurance that may cover some of these costs. Knowing what their policy includes and does not include will allow your loved ones to plan for expenses. If they do have long term care insurance, inquire about the types of care or services that are covered, and determine what additional out of pocket expenses your parents or family will have to pay for. It is important to know what costs are and are not included so that financially you and your parents know what is affordable to them. Understanding all costs in advance will allow for better preparation.

Speak to Trusted Experts and Advisers

When making important decisions about long-term care, it is best to consult with expert advisers who can answer your parents’ questions, address your concerns, and guide you as to the best steps to consider. Advisers like your loved one’s doctors, lawyers, and financial planners, can really help when you have unanswered questions about their needs and how best prepare to ensure they are well cared for. Speaking with these trusted professionals can help you support your parents and make the best decisions possible.

Use Technology to Stay Connected

Technology allows us to stay connected to our loved ones who live close as well as who live afar. For those who live in another city or state, using technology like live video calls, allows you to stay connected and maintain communication with your parents.
When your parents move into their assisted living home, you can talk to the care staff and see if they will help them use video conferencing or their preferred app to stay connected. Today, there are so many ways to care for your aging loved one from a distance and keep an eye on the care they receive with ease while maintaining their privacy.

Work Together

It’s important to keep in mind that helping an aging parent from a distance is not an easy task, but you and your family are on your way with these great tips! Keep in mind as an adult child, you are there to provide assistance when and if your parents or loved one needs it. Having necessary conversations with your loved ones in advance, conducting research and touring communities in their area, knowing what costs are covered and what is not as well as consulting with trusted advisers will provide the support and guidance your parents may need.

We’re here to provide you and your loved ones with support and answers to your questions that you need. For more information on how Columbine Chateau can help your loved one, contact us today!

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