Yesterday, I talked to three different families about the need for memory care for a parent. One told me their parent was in stage 2 of 3 stages of Alzheimer’s. The second was in stage 6 of 7 stages. The third just had “really bad” memory loss. Likely these three individuals may be at similar stages in the disease process. At the same time, the facilities we considered set their pricing models quite differently. One had 9 levels of care, one had 3; and rent and food were separate. One was all-inclusive, rent, food and care all bundled together. Combine the different ways to categorize the sta ..read more

We get it, we watch our parents work as long and as hard as they can to save and have a nest egg in their golden years. They pay vast amounts into social security and carefully choose their insurance plans and figure that should go a long way towards having their needs taken care of in the last years of life, when they need the most help. Their savings, though, they would like to be able to hold on to. To share with their children or grandchildren, give to a charitable organization or church, or just because they feel better having it, just in case. So when they hear an ad on TV or get a flie ..read more

Did you see the encouraging news yesterday? If you have a parent at a long-term care facility (meaning a nursing home, assisted living or adult foster care home), or are thinking of having to move your loved one soon, you probably felt joy and relief over the new public health order. No doubt, things are moving in the right direction, but visitation policies are far from back to normal. To avoid feeling frustrated and upset when trying to visit your loved one, consider the protocols that still need to be followed, and possibly lower your expectations a bit as to how easy the new order will m ..read more

Whether it is a crisis or a long simmering problem that has finally come to a boil, when you need to make decisions that effect your elderly loved one’s happiness and wellbeing, you can feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.  Your neighbor has one opinion, your doctor another, and there is that ad you heard on the radio, and the very competent care manager at the hospital.  They may have very different viewpoints and opinions.  Many of the families that reach out to us at Crossroads Eldercare Options regretfully or sheepishly admit that they have no idea what to do, w ..read more

Assisted living, retirement home, rest home, nursing home, senior apartment, AFC…there are many different names for senior care communities and it can be very confusing to know the difference.  Luckily in some ways it is very easy once you really know what to look for! Read below to see where you think your loved one fits in.  Be aware though, while the concept may become clearer, it is still incredibly hard to identify the right community for your loved one without professional assistance by a company like Crossroads that inspects and tours every community regularly.   Assiste ..read more

Although sometimes hard to remember, only last year at this time families that were considering moving their loved ones into senior living communities would have never guessed that a decision already emotionally challenging, was about to become heart wrenching.  Do I move my parents where they can live more safely, knowing that I cannot visit them?  Or do I become a caregiver myself?  At Crossroads Eldercare Options, we saw that families that could make the decision to care for their own parents at home, happily and with relief, made that decision.   Many people stopp ..read more

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Many folks are unaware of the VA Aid and Attendance benefit for veterans and surviving spouses. The benefit applies to veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication monitoring or other various activities of daily living. This benefit is available to individuals who reside in assisted living communities, personal care homes, skilled nursing facilities and those receiving personal in-home care. Click here to download our Veterans Aid and Attendance resource. The post A Little Known Financial Reso ..read more

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