Consider Putting Your Elderly Parent Into Assisted Living While You Renovate Your Own Home

3 April 2018
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Your life can take a chaotic turn when your elderly parent dies and you realize that the surviving parent cannot care for himself or herself. Many older couples have a partnership that works well, but when one member of the "team" passes away, life can be a real struggle for the survivor. In many scenarios, an adult child of the couple will move the surviving parent into his or her home — but this transition may take some time. Depending on your housing situation, you may need to tackle a quick renovation to have space for your parent to move in. For example, you may need to convert a home office into a bedroom. During this time, putting your parent into short-term assisted living can be advantageous. Here are some considerations:

Find The Right Home

Many assisted living communities can take residents for short stays. Even though many residents sign yearlong leases and plan to stay for multiple years, this isn't always the case. In your situation, finding an assisted living home that will accept residents on short notice and for short durations can be extremely valuable. It's ideal if you can find a home that is close to where you live, as you may want to visit your surviving parent regularly to help him or her avoid loneliness.

Explain Your Plan

Some elderly people, especially after the trauma of losing a spouse, may feel a bit uncertain about moving out of their own home and into assisted living. It's in everyone's best interest for you to be transparent with your parent about your plans. Explain the ins and outs of your home renovation, and explain why having the parent move in with you as the renovation is taking place won't work well. Stress the many benefits of assisted living — such as your parent being able to get help with daily chores that he or she doesn't enjoy — and tell your parent how he or she will enjoy them during the short stay.

Deal With His/Her Possessions

When you move your parent into assisted living for a short period of time, make sure that you do so with lots of his or her possessions. Personal furniture, decorations, and other things can all make your parent's new residence truly feel like home. You'll have to make some decisions with the other items. While your parent is in assisted living, you may wish to sell his or her home and deal with the assets in different ways. You can likely take many things to your home so that they're ready for your parent when he or she moves in after your renovation is complete. For more information on the benefits of assisted living, visit sites like http://www.vvrconline.org.