8 Senior Care Options: How to Choose the Best Fit for Your Aging Loved One

8 Senior Care Options: How to Choose the Best Fit for Your Aging Loved One

We all know we’ll get older someday, but it’s easy to put off the nitty-gritty details of what we want our golden years to look like. “People spend a lot of time planning a two-week vacation, but they don’t spend a whole lot of time planning that part of their life,” says Lisa M. Cini, an aging expert, author, and senior living designer. “It’s not just about the physical space but how you’re caring for your body, mind, and spirit.” 

Plenty of care options and senior living facilities exist to support seniors’ needs, but family members trying to choose the best option for their loved one may feel overwhelmed. It’s even more difficult if there’s uncertainty about what’s covered by insurance or Medicaid. One solution is to hire a geriatric care manager, says Carol Bradley Bursack, an experienced family caregiver, author, and founder of Minding Our Elders

“Everything is unique and individual, and a geriatric care manager is trained in figuring these things out,” Bursack says. These services can be expensive, Bursack notes, but having even one or two consultations can be enough to help caregivers understand the best options for their family’s finances and preferences. 

Whether you seek outside guidance or not, it’s helpful to understand the differences between the most common types of senior care options. 

1. Aging in place: While moving into a care facility is necessary for some seniors, aging in place is preferred by 76% of Americans over age 50, according to a 2018 AARP survey. This keeps them in the comfort of their own home, Cini says, but it often requires modifications to make the space more functional, accessible, and safe (like grab bars to avoid falls).  

To read the full article, please click here: https://www.care.com/c/senior-care-options-explained/

For support, contact a Senior Care Advisor at Care.com. We are master’s-level social workers specializing in adult and senior care. Call us today at (855) 781-1303 x3 or email questions to careplanning@care.com.      

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