Aging in Place |

Aging in Place.? The newest term for staying in your home as you get old. And, as the Baby Boomers continue to age, a silver tsunami is coming.? There will not be sufficient space in Continuous Care Communities to handle the onslaught.? No worry.? The Baby Boomers spent all their money and cannot afford this type of care.? There will be many aging today that cannot afford a facility or remain in their own home.? Parents will be living with children.? Did you notice in the Street of Dreams homes last year how many had the ?mother-in-law? quarters?? In Japan, sharing a residence with parents is common.? Some people practice shared living with parents for economic reasons, many cultures share the practice as a value.

Whether you age in place in your own home, or the home of a child, a number of planned decisions are helpful to consider with your family.? At some point, if you live long enough, you will need care.? Your spouse or child will become a caregiver, or you will hire a caregiver through a service or on your own.? If a family member becomes the chief caregiver, please build in respite.? You should also clarify if a child caregiver shall be paid, and if so, how much.? Or, if a parent lives with a child, will rent be charged.? Transparency around financial areas is critical to remove any appearance of elder abuse.? You will need to consider modifications to the home: grab rails, taller toilets, entrance ramps, etc.? If you have a two story home with all the bedrooms upstairs, you may wish to consider a single level ranch or patio home.? If the decision is made to move into the home of the child, you will need to decide to sell or rent the home of the parent.? A financial planner may be very helpful to determine the best form of cash flow and risk.? Some families build a new home to accommodate the parent.? Talk with a realtor before building to consider resale issues around certain floor plans.

There are many other considerations to aging in place.? Most people will need more than just caregiving.? The lawn and house needs maintained, meals need prepared, medication administered, and with memory problems, some form of GPS tracking system to alert you about wandering.? These are just a sampling of the services offered today to allow people to remain at home longer.? I have designed a planning tool called The Decision Tree of Aging.? The tool is designed to help parents and children talk and plan about the many decisions facing them in the aging process.? Families with a plan are normally families that experience little conflict as they move through the aging process.? They can focus on their loved ones, feeling prepared for whatever momentary crisis can come their way.

Most families select to age in place.? I would encourage you to discuss and plan how to do it well.? Call on professionals that can assist you.? You will find real value and expertise by allowing them to give you a hand.? At Genesis Mediation, we can help you create the plan and keep the waters calm.? Give us a call today.? 888.588.0828.

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