Your Next Move, Author at Senior Housing Options | Raleigh NC

Caring for Your Aging Parents, But Protecting Your Own Nest Egg

June 25, 2013 By Your Next Move

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College tuition. Retirement. Recession.

You have your own financial woes to think about, but now you have to worry about the possibility of helping finance your aging loved one’s long term care as well. At a time when the boomer generation is preparing for their own retirement, 20 percent of adult North Carolinians now find themselves personal and/or financial care providers to an adult parent for friend, possibly compromising their own nest eggs.

In a recent survey we cited, AARP estimates that family caregivers provided the equivalent of $450 billion worth of care to their adult parents, with women typically the family members who assist more in the caregiving responsibilities.

In addition to full time jobs and running their own households, caregivers spend an average of 20 hours per week caring for their loved ones. MetLife estimates those women who take off time from their jobs, take a leave of absence, or resign their positions all together, lose an average of $324,044 in lifetime wages, retirement fund and Social Security benefits.

The time is now – right now before a crisis happens that leaves you unprepared – to put a financial plan into place for the long-term care of your aging parents without placing a heavy burden on your own finances.

Here are some tips to start the planning process.

Talk to you parents.

Assess their financial situation and any preparations they’ve already made. Unfortunately many seniors have exhausted their retirement and the national drain on Social Security and Medicare has left individuals to personally pay for much of their long term health care.
Do your homework.

Get health care options and the costs for each one. Stay at home, assisted living, nursing home.
Investigate if long-term care insurance is the right option.

Long term care insurance isn’t always right for everybody, but don’t rule it out. Be a very careful shopper and make sure the terms and conditions are clear, that the policy offers extended coverage that includes assisted living residences and nursing home facilities. Financial experts suggest the monthly premium should not be more than five percent of your monthly income.
Consider all financing options.

Medicare does not cover long-term care, and in most cases, it does not cover home health care. Medicaid covers various types of care and services for those who fall below the poverty line, but many states are cutting back on Medicaid benefits. One financial resource that most often gets overlooked is VA benefits. If your loved one is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, the VA offers The Aid and Attendance (A&A) Pension that covers home health care like assistance in eating, bathing, dressing, or taking care of the needs of nature. It also includes care in assisted or independent living facilities.
Consult a professional.

Whether an attorney specializing in elder law, a financial planner, a certified senior advisor, or all of the above, get advice on long term care financial options, as well as advice on protecting your own savings.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition
Julie Kopetsky, President
www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203
Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

4 Ways to Cope with Your Aging Loved One’s Dementia-Related Irritability and Hostility

June 11, 2013 By Your Next Move

For our aging loved ones suffering with dementia, they can exhibit some outlandish behaviors associated with the condition, including irritableness, hostility and aggression. The challenging part is, you never know what to expect on any given day. Try a little patience, compassion, accommodation and flexibility to make your life as a caregiver, and your loved one’s dementia, a little less stressful.

How You Can Cope With Your Loved One’s Dementia

Patience

It takes a lot of patience to care for an aging loved one in general, but add the difficulties of dementia and you almost need to be a saint. The important thing to remember is loved one’s suffering with dementia may need things repeated several times, they may struggle with basic routines and become hostile with you or themselves. Take a deep breath, relax, don’t rush them. Your loved one can feed off your level of anxiety, making the situation exasperating.

Compassion

Often our loved ones with dementia walk a fine line between reality, or they remember their past so vividly yet have no perception of the present day. It’s easy for them to become confused and disoriented with time and place. Don’t try to correct them or push them to see your perception. Just offer them kindness and support and hug or two.

Accommodation

It’s a losing battle to try and control your loved one’s behavior, no matter how bizarre or unbalanced it seems to you. Whenever possible, learn to accommodate it. Within reason, make concessions and humor them.

Flexibility

It’s important to create a routine for loved ones with dementia to provide structure so it’s easier for them to establish daily living patterns. But know going in that environmental or other triggers can change behaviors so you’ll need to stay flexible and adjust schedules as needed.

Tips for Reducing Behavior Triggers

To help reduce irritable behavior in your loved one with mild to moderate dementia, the Family Caregiver Alliance offers these suggestions:

Reduce your loved one’s caffeine, sugar and junk food intake.
Reduce noise, clutter and the number of people in a room.
Maintain structure with daily routines.
Do not move household objects and furniture.
Display familiar objects and photographs for a sense of security and pleasant memories.
Use a gentle touch, soothing music, reading or walks to control agitation.
Keep dangerous objects out of reach.
Support your loved one’s independence by letting him care as much for himself as possible.
Acknowledge your loved one’s anger and let her know you understand her frustrations.
Distract your aging parent with a healthy snack or an activity. Don’t confront them, which can increase their anxiety; let them forget what triggered the episode

Above all, keep your sense of humor and learn not to take your loved one’s outbursts and demands personally. We know, easier said than done, but give it a try.

Your Next Move can help you locate the perfect senior housing for your aging loved one.

Our team of relocation specialists are also with you through every step of the transition process including downsizing, estate sales, moving household goods, and home sale.

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move.

If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation.

Please join our mailing list.
Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition
Julie Kopetsky, President
www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203
Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Senior Living: Where Quality of Life, Health Strike a Financial Balance

May 28, 2013 By Your Next Move

In a recent post we addressed the benefits of social activity to the aging brain and how an interactive lifestyle can actually delay or prevent dementia. Aging loved ones who make the decision to stay at home further isolate themselves from other people, and as they try to manage costs, extracurricular expenses are often the first to get cut from the budget. In contrast, Senior living communities provide and encourage social activities so senior residents stay physically and mentally strong. So what is it that discourages us from moving our loved ones to assisted living communities? Quite reasonably, it’s the perception of the expense – that assisted living costs more than living at home.

The fact is, assisted living communities provide a comparable price tag, often times less expensive, to living at home. According to the 2012 Metlife Long Term Care Costs, the average monthly cost of assisted living in North Carolina is $3,605 per month. Keeping in mind these fees cover basic living expenses including rent, utilities, meals, security, housekeeping and laundry, case management and monitoring, transportation, and entertainment and social activities.

Living at home provides its own advantages for your loved ones, like aging in place in the comfort of their own home and the ability to set their own schedule. But the aging process will require home health aides and a level of care they’re not able to provide for themselves. In the same MetLife survey, the average cost for a home health aide is $19 per hour. If you assume five hours per day, three days per week, that’s $1,140 per month. In addition, there are still household expenses like rent or mortgage, utilities, property taxes and insurance, food, home association fees, home repair and maintenance fees, and social and entertainment expenses. Not to mention making home modifications should your parents be confined to wheelchairs.

Time also means money, and you should factor in your own personal time commitment. Even with home health care aides, you’ll still be providing some level of care on a regular basis if your aging parents stay at home. According to a 2009 survey by AARP 2009 survey by AARP, family caregivers provided the equivalent of $450 billion worth of care to their adult parents and other loved ones.

When weighing your options, be diligent and do your homework. Some assisted living communities are all inclusive, while others offer a la carte services not included in the base rate. And keep in mind the health benefits of your aging loved ones staying active socially. It’s too important to discount in your decision process.

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.
Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition
Julie Kopetsky, President
www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203
Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Senior Real Estate Services: Alleviate Time and Stress of Selling and Moving

May 14, 2013 By Your Next Move

Transitioning your loved one from their family home or even your home, to retirement community or an assisted living community, takes a lot of time and preparation. You have to get the home ready for sale including making repairs, decluttering and downsizing. And, if your aging parent has lived in the home for decades, there will be a lot of things to pack, donate and throw away.

You have your own job, family and household to handle, so finding the time to help your loved one transition can be a challenge. It can take weeks, even months to move, so consider hiring a senior real estate and relocation specialist. They can alleviate the stress of selling and moving with a single-point-of-contact, streamlined process for a time-saving solution for your senior’s move. A senior real estate and relocation service can help you sell your home, get the right price, make repairs, help downsize, pack, prepare for tag or estate sales and hire a mover.

Time isn’t the only reason to hire a senior relocation service. Senior relocation specialists are trained to work directly with aging seniors and their family members to help all involved through the emotional aspects of moving.

Senior real estate and relocation specialists provide a respectful, professional service, but because they are not emotionally invested, can focus on the task at hand without attaching sentimentality to the situation. If you find yourself short on time and working on emotion, let a professional step in and make the transition process anxiety-free for you and your parents.

Though every senior real estate and relocation provider offers different services, here are some options to look for:

• Conduct detailed home assessment
• Match you with a list of realtors
• Review home pricing options and help you make the best agent choice
• Assess home repairs and updates; coordinate the work once the house is for sale
• Coordinate downsizing, decluttering, packing and moving
• Plan tag, estate sales and donations
• Find senior housing

Your Next Move can help you locate the perfect senior housing for your aging loved one. Our team of relocation specialists are also with you through every step of the transition process including downsizing, estate sales, moving household goods, and home sale.
This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us onTwitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.
Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition
Julie Kopetsky, President
www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203
Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Reversal of Roles: Helping Adult Children Cope with the Care of an Aging Parent

April 30, 2013 By Your Next Move

It can be uncomfortable, if not intimidating, to talk to your adult parents about their long term goals – health care, living arrangements, wills and power of attorney, among other things. You may feel it’s none of your business – or your parents may feel it’s none of your business. Either way, adult children or their aging parents may not be prepared for this sudden reversal of roles. Generally, our parents don’t want to feel like a burden, so their first instinct is to dismiss the topic of conversation, smile and say “oh, let’s discuss this later… have a piece of cake”. For some family members, the dismissal of the conversation causes even more anxiety, for other’s they’re just reaching for the fork and happy to move on from the subject.

Whether it’s denial, communication breakdown or they simply don’t see the urgency; adult children often handle sensitive matters in very different ways from one another. One sibling may see the other as overbearing while the other is regarded as uncaring or unfeeling. It’s important not to discount one another’s emotions, but talk openly for a better understanding of why everyone feels the way they do so you can all work together toward a path forward for your loved one’s inevitable care. The better prepared and unified you all are, the easier the process will be. Here are some suggestions you might find helpful to cope with planning the care of your aging loved ones and making the process easier.

Get schooled on all things senior related.
There is a lot to know when it comes to the aging process including legal and financial considerations, long-term care goals and advanced health directives. Your parents may not even have all of the information they need, or even know what options they have available to them. Do your homework before you ever sit down to talk with your parents and you’ll prove an invaluable resource for them.

Plan for the future now before it’s too late.
As difficult as it can be, it’s imperative to sit down with your parents and talk to them about their future health and long-term care plans. The hardest part is getting the conversation started. How to Say it to Seniors by David Solie, author and geriatric psychology expert, offers some genuine advice on removing the communication blocks adult children experience when trying to communicate with their aging parents. Have the conversations before you HAVE to have the conversation.

Keep Communication Lines Open.
Sometimes it’s difficult to know if your parents really need your help, particularly if you don’t live near them. Enlist family members in closer proximity and neighbors to help keep track of your loved ones and any care they may need. Consider creating a phone tree or even a social media group where you can share updates and concerns with other loved ones. The key to successful long-distance caregiving is preparation so you can make informed decisions based on need.

It’s ok to admit your emotions are getting the best of you.
If you are having trouble deciphering fact from fiction and emotion from logic when it comes to the care options of your loved ones, consider consulting a Certified Senior Advisor. It’s such an emotionally charged topic, and it can help to have someone who can be respectful and helpful, while taking away the emotional component to help you make realistic and neutral decisions.

Balance, balance, balance.
You have your own family to take care of, a job, and hectic schedule in general. Don’t let the care of your aging parents consume your own life. Ask help when you need it and take time for yourself and your own children and spouse. Often times caregivers stop caring for themselves and end up in worse shape than the person they are caring for.

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below. LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.

Your Next Move, Easing Your Senior Transition

Julie Kopetsky, President

www.yournextmovenc.com
919-601-8203
Julie.kopetsky@yournextmovenc.com

Get Socially Fit to Defend Against Dementia

April 16, 2013 By Your Next Move

Who knew that an evening spent playing bingo or taking line dance lessons could improve your mental processes and perhaps prevent or delay age-related cognitive changes.

Just as a physical exercise regimen is linked to healthier aging brains, recent university and medical studies suggest that an active and socially integrated lifestyle in aging adults can also help defend against dementia and other cognitive impairments.

Researchers believe that social activity, and keeping busy in general, challenges aging adults to interact in exchanges of intellect, support, or just to have fun with other individuals, which promote better cognitive health, not to mention prolong life. To summarize the research, socially-related activities keeps the mind sharp, which can influence the physiological processes regulated by the brain like dementia, immune systems and other health-related problems.

How Social is Your Aging Loved One?

These studies have found that social isolation can actually accelerate cognitive deterioration in aging adults, not to mention lead to depression and anxiety. See how your loved ones’ social engagement level stacks up by asking them these questions.

How often do you attend church?
How often do you visit family and friends?
How often do you play games with others (chess, checkers, cards, etc.)?
How often do you participate in recreational activities (camping, biking, fishing, etc.)?
How often do you physically exercise?
How often do you read books, newspapers, do crossword puzzles?
How often do you go to the library?
How often do you eat out in restaurants?
How often do you volunteer at schools, civic groups, etc.?
How often do you take classes?
How often do you attend sporting events?
How often do you go to the movies, theater or museums?
How often do you watch television or listen to the radio?

Getting Your Aging Loved One More Engaged

An active social network combined with leisure activities and a physical fitness routine can improve your aging loved one’s overall health and reduce cognitive decline. For many aging adults, working was their main social outlet. But as job activities decrease with age, it’s important to find other outlets that require contact with society. Sometimes it just takes a little help from you to get them motivated. Here are some tips for getting your aging loved ones socially involved.

First, find out who is in their social network and encourage them to get together often. It’s important to have a social group so your loved ones aren’t always doing things on their own.
Visit with their local senior center to see what events and activities they offer.
Pick up a brochure from their local library with a list of author readings and book signings.
Invite your loved ones to your child’s sporting events.
Check with community colleges for a list of continuing education/adult learning classes.
Include them in family camping or fishing trips.
Get them a subscription to the local paper, Wall Street Journal or The New York Times. While an isolated activity, it keeps their mind sharp and gives them something to talk about when they are with others.
Encourage them to join Silver Sneakers or other senior-focused exercise programs.
Give them a gift card to a local restaurant with enough to cover their lunch and a friends.
Persuade them to purchase season tickets to their local theater.
Suggest they try a painting or photography class, or learn something new they’ve always wanted to try.

This blog post is brought to you by the team at Your Next Move. If you are interested in further information you may contact us below.

LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the most current communication on the subject of senior relocation. Please join our mailing list.