You have to make the decisions about legal power of attorney, durable healthcare power of attorney (most states no longer accept Living Wills), and doing so should have your will or trust in place as well.
A reputable facility will generally not accept new residents if their affairs are not in order.
If you wish to age in place, you need to do a few things:
– Who can you rely on for assistance? They need to be able to spare time for you, which can be considerable in an emergency.
– If you need to pay someone to be your assistant, have you asked friends for references? For example: One of our friends does several jobs since she's self–employed, and loves assisting seniors. We've known her for 15 yrs and used her for my MIL, who adored her. She's a reliable referral, and completely honest. But she doesn't advertise, she only will take clients by word of mouth because this isn't her main business. I prefer a business relationship, because anyone who invests time in your personal affairs deserves to be paid for it.
- Can your home be easily modified for universal access?
- Do you have a contractor or handyman as a RECENT, reliable resource who could do modifications for you in an emergency? Because most people put it off, until something happens and....whoops! we needed a wheelchair ramp done yesterday!
- What is the best convalescent facility near you or near your doctor? Most states publish ratings.
- How much does the facility cost? Assume you have a serious injury, it might be 2-3 months before you could get back home. It is a common pattern as people age, to go in and out of convalescent facilities during their final independent years.
- Are you able to afford licensed bonded home healthcare aides, or settle for "gray workers"? The former is expensive. The latter, without exception among the elderly cases I've heard of, have lost considerable personal possessions from theft. Those workers don't get paid much, and it's not like you're going to beat them up to get your earrings back.
- Have you investigated the senior facilities available to you? There are many different types since there's no federal standard of eldercare, unlike Canada for instance. Do you know what they cost, at every level and for every option? What's their policy on shifting from Asst. Lvg. to Managed/Skilled Care? What's their record for complaints on the state board? Are they profit or non-profit? Are they well-funded and in solid financial health (it usually takes your tax advisor to look over the facility's financials to tell you this)? What's their staff to patient ratio, and how does it compare with its peers? What's the staff turnover rate? Have you visited multiple times, tried the food, participated in activities, met and talked with at least two or three long-term residents?
We had one friend who sold her home and moved to a regular apartment building. After about 5 years she had slowed down enough (fell and broke her hip) that she moved into a senior housing complex. She was still active and drove her car, so it fit her lifestyle well. She was there for another 8 yrs. There was staff 24/7, she had a small kitchen when she felt like cooking, or could go to the DR if she wanted to be served. No medical assistance was given, but residents could pay for it privately and many did.
Eventually she moved to a full Skilled Care nursing facility, as her health declined. But she was able to manage on her own for quite a long while before needing managed care.
Anyway, sorry for the length of this but HTH! Good luck to you.
