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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

If your elderly parents have lived in the same house for decades, chances are you’ve got a LOT of preparation to do to help them get their home ready for sell. Here are five important first steps to get you started.

De-clutter. It’s difficult for potential home buyers to see themselves in your home if it’s full of stuff. Do a room-by-room assessment and pack away anything not essential your parent’s daily living – like knickknacks, piles of magazines and newspapers, remove most books from bookcases, clear off the tops of dressers, chests and counters. Donate or throw away anything they don’t want to keep and move the remaining items to a storage facility or someplace else outside the home.

Remove personal effects. Take down photos and portraits, trophies and awards, and put away family antiques and heirlooms. It’s important that potential buyers see themselves in your house, creating their own memories, not replacing yours.

Clean First. Clean the house from top to bottom, inside and out. Vacuum carpets, polish hardwood and vinyl and tile floors. Clean under and behind appliances, dust baseboards and doors. Wash the windows, pressure wash the exterior of the house, driveways and sidewalks. Sweep off the roof and clean out the gutters.

Curb appeal. Your landscaping and exterior of the house is just as important as the interior. After all, it’s the first impression buyers get when they come see your house. Make sure the lawn is mowed and shrubs are trimmed, and repair loose bricks or posts on the front entry way.

Remodel and repair. Fix minor things that are broken or not working properly like leaking faucets, crumbling grout, holes in walls, broken door latches, damaged flooring and cracked windows. Make sure light bulbs are burning, ceiling fans are running and appliances are working.

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 home sale, downsizing, estate sales and moving household goods.

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