If you have made the determination that your senior parents’ are in need of living assistance, then you need to have an open and honest discussion with them about their current situation. It is important to present the idea of making a change without sounding condescending, as often times it is difficult for people to make changes, especially ones as large as their living situations. You need to go into your conversation with empathy and allow your parents to keep their sense of dignity. Once you have opened a line of communication, you need to discuss what level of care your parent may need, whether it be part or full-time supervision, medical care or residential care. The following living options are available to seniors:
Living on their own with assistance
Your parent may not be ready, and indeed, may not need to move into a residential care facility. They may just be at the point in their life where they need a meal delivery service to make sure they have three solid meals a day. They may also opt for hiring a housekeeping service to come by and clean their house and make sure that they have clean clothes to wear. Another thing they may want is to hire a driving service to help them run errands without the added pressure of driving when they may not be up to it.
Parent moves in with you
Many families choose to take their senior parents into their homes to offer assistance as needed. This is often the first option most families consider due to the fact that monetarily it seems to be the least expensive. Your family will provide care as needed, but you will also need to accommodate a senior that may have mobility issues, whether that means installing grab bars in the bathroom, or perhaps a ramp going into your front door. Keep in mind that if you are thinking of choosing this option, you will need to make sure that if you have a spouse or children, that you keep them updated and try to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
Retirement Community
Your parent may prefer to move to a retirement community which most likely presents itself as a multi-unit setting with group meals, daily transportation, housekeeping, and daily activities at a rec center. In this scenario, your parent is technically still living on their own, but they are in close proximity of people in the same stage of their lives who would like to live on their own but have services available to them quickly.
Residential Care Facility
Residential Care Facilities usually offer either private rooms or a room to be shared with a roommate. For someone to live in this type of facility would mean that while they do not need skilled nursing care, they do require assistance for grooming, walking, eating or using the restroom. Residential Care Facilities are great because they have a group dining room on site which can help senior parents to keep up their social lives, as activities are often offered as well.
Assisted Living Facility
Assisted Living Facilities will be more hands-on in terms of supervision and personal care. You parent will have access to assistance in grooming, changing incontinence pads, housekeeping, and managing medications. This facility will have a shared dining room and activities as well as transportation. Assisted Living Facilities often have a special wing in their buildings for people suffering from memory-related diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
Skilled Nursing Facility
Skilled Nursing Facilities will offer comprehensive skilled nursing care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your parent will have personal assistance in every aspect of their lives, from eating to medical injections, monitoring high-level medical issues such as blood pressure, feeding tubes and ventilators.
Regardless of which living situation will fit your family’s needs best suited to the senior in your life, you will need to make a plan for moving your family member. You can go in and try to move your parent yourself, but keep in mind, you will very likely also be dealing with the logistics of changing their address, getting into contact with cleaning or driving services, or making some upgrades to your home to accommodate mobility issues. Hiring a local Tucson moving service is highly recommended, if for nothing else, just to ease the burden on you, as this life change for your parent will only be made possible by you advocating for them around every obstacle. A professional moving company in Tucson will be equipped to work in warmer weather, and there are a few Tucson moving companies that not only offer to load and unload items, but they will also come in and carefully box everything up, and then when they deliver, they can also unpack for you and take away all of the boxes and materials used to move. This will take all of the guesswork out of trying to arrange packing and hauling items with the help of other family members or friends. It will also free you up to staying present with your parent and helping them through what can only be described as a very emotional time in their lives. Local moving companies in Tucson will also have the added benefit of professional relationships with different assisted living homes in the area. They will know what to expect upon delivery and where they can park, as well as what items you will not be able to take into some of these facilities. We wish you the best of luck on your move and hope that you will consider contacting us if you have any other questions regarding moving in Tucson.
