Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Certified Senior Advisor and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q Itās not safe for my mom to live alone any longer. I am her primary caregiver and I have seen her change over the past few months, with numerous falls in her home. I am considering assisted living for her, but donāt know where to begin. What should I be looking for?
A Safety is the key issue at hand, and I am happy that you are realistic about your momās safety. Finding the right community for your mom will be a process. My first recommendation is to keep her safe while she is still at home. A caregiver will help with that and will also help her to transition to a care community. It is important to consider your momās desires in a community and to involve her in the decision making process. This is accomplished in a few ways. You can do the major part of exploring communities in your area and once you have narrowed down your contenders, bring her to the property to view and talk with the staff. Letās back up for a moment and consider some important factors when evaluating communities. Begin by asking friends for a referral in your area. Your local senior center or hospital will also have a referral list to consider. Create your list and visit the properties for consideration. Create a comparison list so that you can equally compare what each place has to offer. You are now ready to schedule a tour of the communities. Take note of the atmosphere of the community. You may have a gut feeling immediately, but take your time and talk to the staff. Do you sense kindness and genuine concern? How do they speak to you and your mom? How does management treat their staff? How does the care staff interact with the residents? Some communities will allow you to have a meal in their dining room. If they do, take advantage of this as youāll want to rate the food service offered. Make sure to ask if special diets can be accommodated. Take note on how the property is laid out. Are the hallways properly lit? Is there a long distance to the dining room or common area? Make sure you tour all areas of the community. Observe the activities offered. Each community you visit should have a weekly and monthly schedule posted somewhere. If it is not, ask to see it. You may want to arrange your visit during a scheduled activity, so donāt be afraid to ask for a copy of their activity schedule before you make an appointment to tour the property. Once you have your āfavoritesā list, bring your mom to the communities you have chosen. If you do have a caregiver helping at home, he or she can accompany you on your visit. Once you choose the right place for her, her caregiver can help her transition to the new community and once she is settled, the caregiver can be released from her duties. It is a great way to make the transition a smooth one. The most important part of this process is to properly identify your momās needs and to involve her in the process. Remember, this will be your momās new residence. Make sure she knows that you value her desires so that it is not just you in the driverās seat.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
