It is not an easy decision to have to put a parent in a nursing home. The ideal thing is for an elderly parent to be able to live safely in their own home. At a certain point, however, it is not feasible for them to be able to live independently and they need to have round-the-clock care.
A nursing home is going to be the only solution for some. To make sure that the transition goes smoothly, you have to do a few things ahead of time to prepare. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the smoother the process will go for everybody involved.
In this article, we will go over what several of those preparations should look like.
1 – Get their affairs in order
Before any papers get signed or they are taken to their new home, you have to make sure that all of their personal and financial affairs are in order. It is likely that you or one of your siblings will have to start making decisions on the parent’s behalf.
To make sure that everything is in order and that you are legally allowed to make decisions for them, you’ll need to talk to an elder law attorney to take a look at their papers and help you sign the legal documents so you are covered for any eventuality.
Once you have everything sorted out then it’s time to make sure that you have a secure space to store the documents that are also easily accessible. If there’s an emergency you don’t want to be scrambling to get to the papers so having them handy is important.
2 – Lots of communication
In the best case scenario, your parent, yourself and your siblings are all in agreement that this is the best path forward. Unfortunately, this kind of decision can be a sticking point between family members.
It’s very important to have open communication and for all sides to listen to what others have to say as far as concerns or what their needs are. This is going to make sure that relationships stay solid and that your parent is going to go to the place that is most ideal for their needs and situation. In some cases these nursing homes are more like assisted living facilities in which your parent will be as independent as possible while also getting the access to care that they need.
3 – Make a financial plan
Long before the decision is made to have a parent go to a nursing home, there has to be a plan on how to pay for it. It starts with the type of care they need as there are many different levels and each comes with its own price tag.
This is why it’s so important to have your parent’s paperwork in order before anything so you can get a sense of their finances and see if they can afford to pay for the care that they need. You should also research what Medicare and private insurance will cover as this can offset the costs.
