Dear Angel, My mom just moved to a nursing home and I want her to be happy and comfortable. Although she seems content, she has asked once or twice about returning home. What are the best ways to address this? Also, how can I help her to feel more at home there? Thanks for your […]
Americans Risk Losing Life Savings When CCRCs Go Bankrupt
Bob Curtis, 87, and his wife, Sandy, put down over $840,000 to live in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) known as The Harborside, following the sale of their home three years prior. The couple expected to spend the rest of their lives receiving care at the facility. Not only will these plans never come […]
New Federal Rule Sets Minimum Staffing Requirements for Nursing Homes — the Biggest Reform in Nursing Home Policy in Decades
A federal mandate that sets minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes was finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last week. Three final rules were issued to “fulfill President Biden’s commitment to support family caregivers, boost compensation and job quality for care workers, expand and improve care options, and improve the safety […]
Can You Reside with a Loved One in a Long-Term Care Facility when Your Health Situations Are Different?
Q. My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They are one of those happy couples who spend every waking moment together and are still as much in love as the day they met. My mother has memory issues that are getting worse, and Dad needs dialysis several times a week. Mom will probably need […]
Assisted Living Is Failing to Meet the Needs of Seniors in the US
The senior population in the United States has quadrupled since 1900 and is expected to continue growing significantly, with 46 percent of the baby boomer generation now age 65 and up. According to the Administration for Community Living’s Profile of Older Americans, by 2040, there will be 80.8 million older adults, more than twice as […]
What is the Difference Between a Nursing Home and Assisted Living?
Sheila lives with her son, his wife, and her grandchildren in their home, and has been there for 3 years since her Parkinson’s started getting worse. They enjoy having her with them, but as her needs are becoming greater, they think she may need more support than they can provide. They have heard from some […]
Opus: A New Kind of Senior Living for Middle-Income Seniors
Linda Helfet, 78, and her husband Bill Hilliker, 86, planned to grow old in their condominium, located just outside of Boston. Plans changed when their sons moved away to different parts of the country. They had to rethink their living situation, keeping in mind what would happen if one of them was gone and the […]
Where Will You Age? Planning to Live Independently
Jonas became a widower a couple of years ago. Before his wife died, they lived in their Springfield home for 40 years. Jonas considered downsizing, but decided to stay for as long as possible. There are too many memories there to just pick up and leave. To Jonas, no other place will ever feel like […]
What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care, and which is Less Expensive?
Q. We are currently caring for my mother-in-law, Margaret, in our home. We enjoy having her with us, but as her needs keep becoming greater, we find that she may need more support than we can provide. I have read that when a senior has a progressive medical condition or serious health needs, assisted living […]
Senior Living Now and in 2028
Maria lived in a colonial-style townhome with 14 stairs up from the basement, and 14 more to her bedroom. It was wearing on her joints to go up and down all those steps. She was also beginning to feel lonely and isolated, since most of her friends had moved out of the neighborhood. After giving […]
“Aging Together” With Your Parents
Q. My husband and I are in our mid 60’s. Our kids are married with their own children, and we are ready to retire. Fortunately, my mother is still doing well at the age of 85, but she needs assistance with certain things and gets lonely easily. She was living with us, but we are […]
Tips to Ease the Transition
Dear Commander Bun Bun, My mother will be downsizing and moving soon. She has lived in the same home for 40 years, and does not do well with change. Do you have any tips for how we can ease her transition? Lee Vinhomme —- Dear Lee, Moving out of a place you are familiar with […]