Retirement Home Move Preparation - Basic Factors to ConsiderThere are several factors for seniors to consider when making preparations to move from a residence into a retirement home. This is especially true if the residence is a house that has been lived in for a long time. The subject is broad enough that this article will concentrate more on decisions that are not directly related to picking a particular facility. The subject of deciding on a particular facility and the things to look for is covered in a separate article. Click here for article on assisted living and other options
Facilities The decision to move into a retirement facility and the move preparation can be filled with emotions. Whether you are a single person or a couple each person’s individual needs must be assessed. There are three main types of retirement facilities to consider in your preparation where seniors can live outside of their own home. Other options involve in home care or hospices which are not discussed here. Knowing the types of facilities that are available is tantamount to choosing the right one for you.
Independent Living Facilities Independent Living communities are for folks who are healthy and self-sufficient. The community may provide services like laundry, group meals, local transportation, and planned social activities. These communities are for folks you like the idea of spending their retirement in a community of peers and living in a smaller home that is easy to care for. Assisted Living Facilities As mentioned above there are two levels of assisted living. Type A assisted living facilities may only accept and care for individuals who can evacuate the residence without assistance and who can follow directions in an emergency. Type B assisted living facilities may accept residents who don’t qualify for a Type A facility because they either need personal assistance to evacuate the building or they cannot follow directions on their own in an emergency or both. The senior care industry has adopted what they call Activities of Daily Living(ADLs). There are six basic categories of ADLs:
Typically if you require help with any of these ADLs(depending on the extent of help needed) you will likely want to choose an Assisted Living facility at a minimum as opposed to an Independent Living Community. Personally I would stay in my private home as long as possible and as long as I could keep up the chores of the house like yard work and cleaning and if I were able to take care of my personal hygiene, feed myself and the like without help from others. That also takes into account my ability to drive and take care of personal matters like buying groceries. Assisted Living facilities are for folks who need some help with ADLs, but wish to remain as independent as possible. They are a middle ground between independent living and nursing homes. They tend to provide more privacy, space, and dignity than many nursing homes and at a lower cost. An Assisted Living facility does not offer extensive medical care like a nursing home does. Select a few facilities to visit and have a close relative accompany you. A professional caregiver at each facility can evaluate you and determine your care needs. A very important consideration when choosing a facility is if an individual has a condition that will likely worsen, such as Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or some other degenerative disease. Then it is prudent to select a Type B assisted living facility or a facility that has both Type A and B units on the same grounds. This makes transfer much easier and it is less stressful should a patient need to move from a Type A level facility to a Type B when a condition progresses. This will be an important and key decision in your move preparation as moving is stressful for anyone young or old. Nursing Homes A nursing home is set up for people who need skilled medical professionals providing them care and services on a daily basis. They will even administer prescription medications which is helpful for patients who may be forgetful. Skilled nursing staff is available 24 hours a day. These facilities are more expensive than assisted living facilities and the rooms are generally smaller and with less privacy. When deciding on a nursing home check the ratio of nursing staff and other caregivers to patient population as a part of your preparation. This is a good indicator of the level of care they will be capable of providing each patient. Major Preparation Considerations for a Move Your New Space and Downsizing Preparation Naturally you will want to know what size your new living quarter options are. Visit some properties you have selected using the above criteria for the type of facility that fits your needs best. The staff should be able to let you tour and view living spaces available. Plan and begin shopping well in advance of your planned move because in some cases they may have a waiting list. Ask for room dimensions, floor plans, and brochures for each facility. You will need this information to help you decide which property will accommodate your space needs. Your choice of new home will most likely be considerably smaller than your existing home. This will require downsizing of your personal property.
Click here for some tips on downsizing. There are experts who can help you with the transition of finding a place, downsizing, and making move preparations(check the internet for relocation assistance) if you don’t have friends or relatives that can help. You will want to preserve some memories in the process of downsizing. A few keepsakes and decorations will make your new home cozier, but you will have to keep them to a minimum. The floor plan will help you decide what furniture and other items to keep and what to get rid of. Consider offering and giving away some of your items to your children, relatives, or close friends. If budget is tight sell them the items at a bargain price. Also consider an estate sale as an option over a garage sale. You may be able to get more money for your sold items. Estate sales are especially good if you have a large home and a lot of high ticket items and antiques. Finding a willing estate sale agent will be harder to come by for small houses and if you do find one their profit margin will be much higher than for a larger estate. However, even with their high profit margin hiring one can often prove to be a significant advantage and cost savings over conducting your own garage sale. Medicaid Keeping your existing home after a move into a new facility has its pros and cons, so preparation regarding your home's status is vital. Your decision to move should be a firm and permanent one. There are situations where you may want to hold onto your “old” home however. Naturally upkeep in your absence will be a big consideration and possible source of headache. Renting to a tenant is one idea for a way to keep the house, but being a landlord is no picnic, so think hard on that one. You may want to sell your existing home after moving into your new abode. If you plan to use Medicaid to assist you financially with your new living arrangements be mindful that there are certain eligibility requirements. Medicaid has limitations on income and other assets you may own as a part of their qualification program. The rental idea stated above will also be an issue with respect to assets if you go this route. You will want to take these rules into consideration when deciding to sell your home or not. In addition, you don’t want to jeopardize your situation or be in violation due to misuse of a government program. There are penalties that can be assessed and which could cause you eviction from your new retirement home!. It would be wise to check with a Medicaid office or your lawyer for current regulations should you decide to consider Medicaid for housing assistance. I hope these tips help minimize preparation problems for a retirement home transition. authored by Lon Britton
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