Tips for Couples Moving Into Assisted Living

It can be hard enough to move one family member into an assisted living facility, but what if both parents are still living and one or both of them require professional care? Even if one spouse is perfectly healthy and active, they may not be able to fully care for their ailing partner, especially in the case of degenerative illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, in which they need to be monitored full time.

As people continue to live longer, it is becoming increasingly common for people over the age of 60 to report that they are still married, rather than single or widowed. Assisted living facilities all over the country are adapting and coming up with solutions to accommodate the varying needs of aging couples.

Here’s what you can do if you’re thinking about moving your parents into an assisted living facility:

1) Do Your Research

Depending on where you live and your financial situation, you may have a variety of facilities to choose from. Find out what each facility offers, including their options for couples, their ratings, their pay scales, etc.

The earlier you do your research the better. Don’t wait until you already need the facility because then you’ll be pressed for time and an emergency situation might develop. Be prepared with your information so that, as soon as you start seeing warning signs, you can begin talking to them about their options for assisted living.

2) Know the Costs

Long-term care for elderly family members can place a high financial burden on families, and again, the earlier you prepare, the better off you’ll be. In addition to saving early and often, your research into facilities should include the types of payment they receive. Not all of them accept Medicaid and which facilities you can afford will depend on which ones accept the types of payment you can provide.

In the case of couples where one partner needs more assistance than the other, it’s good to know that most facilities only charge each partner for the services they use. This means that, if one partner is still fairly independent while the other needs extensive care, the independent partner will only pay for room and board while the other will be charged for their medical expenses and necessary monitoring.

3) Be Prepared to Compromise

The aging process is different for everyone, but that doesn’t mean couples have to be separated. Just as compromises had to be made when they first moved in and started their lives together, they will be equally necessary when the time comes to move to an assisted living facility. Each partner will have different physical, medical, and emotional needs and it’s important to make sure they all get met. That will inevitably require some sacrifices on both sides, but for many couples, the process of moving into the next phase of their lives in an assisted living facility can be made that much easier if they can stay together.