Care & Services

Are you and your family ready for the challenge of caring for an older parent? Planning care and services for an older parent are among the toughest decisions confronting many today. Current needs and uncertainty about the future can cause emotional distress for everyone in the family. Outside care can be expensive, adding to the burden.

When something goes wrong and immediate attention is needed:

• You may not know who to call or what to do.
• You don't know if anyone cares about your needs.
• You may be quite concerned about the cost.

A good first step is a family meeting to talk openly and compassionately about the older person's needs and the family's resources. Communication and planning can be difficult in families where adult children have moved far away from home due to careers or marriage. Sometimes it's helpful to have a third party moderate the discussion, helping to set the agenda and guide the discussion. Then every family member can participate fully. The greater the involvement and participation of family members, the higher each one's level of commitment.

A cornerstone of our services is insightful planning-- preferably before an emergency or sudden event. We can help you and your family with effective planning and sound decisions that affect the health and well-being of your older parents.

Ninety percent of Americans prefer to stay in their own home. Up to half of all nursing facility residents could live independently if they had adequate and affordable home care services. So one of the first questions we ask is, if remaining at home is the preferred option, "What will it take to live as independently as possible for as long as practical?"

We use a variety of tools and professional resources to assist you in evaluating your needs and to design a creative, cost-effective plan and budget. Your plan will take advantage of resources both inside and outside your family. It will be far-looking enough to anticipate the future, yet flexible enough to respond to new or changed circumstances. When families put their hearts and minds together, it's surprising what can be accomplished:

•  Family meetings to discuss concerns and arrive at decisions.
  
•  Thoughtful evaluation of your parent's current and future needs.
  
•  Written plan of action and budget for transportation, services, and care.
  
•  More equitable sharing of workload by the family and more unity.
  
•  Referrals to competent professionals.

Contact us about our Care & Services Program.