CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Denver, Colorado – October 20, 2021

The Caring Generation® Does Assisted Living Take All Your Money?

Golden CO- Caregiver subject matter expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts Episode 108 of The Caring Generation® podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. Today, October 20, 2021, Wilson shares individual and family beliefs about assisted living communities, reasons assisted care becomes necessary, and why assisted living may be the perfect answer for older adults living alone.

Living in the comfort of home after retirement is the plan of many aging adults. Unfortunately, in the absence of discussion about making a care plan for aging parents, families may not consider assisted living or other care options until pressured by an unexpected health event.

While the thought of moving out of a long-time home to a small assisted living apartment may be a topic of disagreement in families, assisted living communities offer benefits similar to or above and beyond the care adult children provide in the home. The first concern when attempting to answer the question "does assisted living take all your money" may be worry about the government program of Medicaid. 

A better question may be to ask what does assisted living communities offer that living at home does not? Setting aside a monthly mortgage or rent payment, the care provided in assisted living communities includes many services that adult children eventually provide for aging parents.

Commonalities between family caregivers and services offered in assisted living include meals, snacks, assistance with bathing and dressing, medication reminding, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation.  Some communities even have visiting physicians and medical providers to eliminate the need to leave the community for doctor appointments or medical care.

Measuring The Time Tradeoff for Family Caregivers Versus What Assisted Living Community Care Provides

The tradeoff in time for family caregivers who assist aging parents relates to conflict about job retention or career advancement, marital relationships, time devoted to child care, the pursuit of education, retirement savings, attention to health and well-being, and personal time. In reality, many of the daily activities and chores provided by adult children can be supplied by an assisted living community.

Add to the benefits of assisted living socialization and activity, which may be at a low level when an older adult lives alone at home and may not be able to drive. Visiting with family is beneficial; however, research points to the additional benefits of socializing with peers for overall health, well-being, and happiness.

When assisted living offers so much, why do adult children and older adults negatively look at the service as something that "takes all your money" instead of giving adult children back their lives and supporting the independence, health, and well-being of an older adult? For answers to these questions and more, join Pamela D Wilson for this week's episode. 

Wilson supports family caregivers, groups, and corporations worldwide by offering education for caregivers about managing, planning, and navigating health and aging issues. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care, individual elder care consultations, caregiver support, webinars, speaking engagements, and brand collaborations are on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at +1 303-810-1816 or through the contact Me page on her website.

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