Posts Tagged ‘choosing the best housing for a loved one’

Determining the Best Housing for a Loved One

Thursday, August 14th, 2014

by Charles D’Alessandro | Leave a Comment  

best housing for a loved one

Caregivers may need help determining the best housing for a loved one

This is the first in a series of blogs on caregivers, their loved ones and determining the best housing for a loved one in Brooklyn.

A caregiver is defined as one who provides support to a loved one who may be feeble from old age or disease, or who may not be as strong or as stable of mind as they once were. The list of care a caregiver provides is a long one. In this blog post we will focus on caregivers and determining the best housing for a loved one in Brooklyn.

Assisting or handling the real estate or housing needs of a loved one as their caregiver  is quite different from buying or selling a home for yourself.  When determining the best housing for a loved one in your care, it may help to consider the following:

  1. Pursue in-home support services and community services for their continued independence. If in-home support services and community services are needed and available, acquire them. The feeling of being independent is precious to a senior.
  2. Don’t do what your loved one is capable of doing for themselves. If they are able to pay their bills and cook their meals, let them. Allowing them to maintain as much of their independence as they can will make them feel better about receiving the care they now need from you.
  3. Unless they are not able to make decisions for themselves or their behavior could put others in danger, honor their right to make decisions about their life while they are able to.
  4. Provide them with the basic freedom of making choices. Allow them to choose where to live, what to wear or what to eat for dinner. The ability to make choices on their own may diminish over time. As their health declines, people dear to them pass away or finances start to tighten, the ability to communicate who they are through their choices will become harder for them to do.

To help you in determining the best housing for a loved one, present and discuss these questions with them:

  • What standard of living do you want for yourself?
  • What surroundings would you enjoy?
  • Is location important to you?
  • Would you like to be near family and friends, doctors, pharmacies, doctors offices, shopping, senior centers, a church and other comforts or conveniences?
  • Consider your current health situation. Do you need to look for a place with features that will allow you to move about easily?
  • Can you afford the cost of the type of housing you would like to live in?
  • Does the type of housing you like include in-home support services of any kind?
  • Are you eligible for publicly-funded or subsidized services such as Medicare or Medicaid?
  • Will the in-home support services that are available to you now be available in the future, also?
  • Have you included appropriate family members and friends in your decision making?
  • Have you determined the role others will have in making decisions for you and with you in the future?
  • Would you like to speak with an attorney to make sure that you understand your rights and get answers to any legal questions you may have?

The best housing for a loved one is the one that makes certain their health, social and financial needs are well taken care of and that their legal rights are protected.  Your ultimate goal should be to help your loved one enjoy independent living at home for as long as they possibly can. So, plan carefully, take good care of yourself and get informed about caregiving.

Senior Care, Housing Options Resources
For great articles on s illnesses and symptoms your loved one may be facing,visit

http://www.aplaceformom.com/senior-care-resources/articles
http://www.seniorhomes.com/

Brooklyn/New York Senior Housing Options –

http://www.aplaceformom.com/assisted-living/new-york/brooklyn
http://www.seniorhomes.com/c/ny/brooklyn/assisted-living/

If you have any questions about determining the best housing for a loved one or wonder if selling and relocating might be best for them, please contact me,  Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, or call (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 for answers. You can reach me by email, [email protected], also.

 

Photo Copyright: alexraths / 123RF Stock Photo