Long Term Care Planning Essential in Keeping Seniors at Home
In many cities including Denver long term care planning is essential to keeping seniors in their home as long as possible.
As a home care provider in the Denver, Colorado metro area for the last six years, I have seen firsthand how helping elders to remain at home benefits them greatly. I have yet to encounter an elder who just can’t wait to head to the nursing home. Yes, nursing homes do have their place but only as a last resort in my humble opinion. For some folks an assisted living arrangement could be beneficial but most prefer to default to the familiar — their home. And long term care planning is essential in achieving that goal.
We have a client named Ann who we have been providing care for the last five years. She’s 90 years young and we have partnered with her family to make a concerted effort to keep her in the home that she has lived in for a long, long time. The home she loves. She’s frail but happy. Without the combined effort of the family and our team, she would have been directed to a nursing home years ago and I question whether she would still be with us. And, fortunately for Ann she was able to handle the financial burden of long term home care. However, for others, home care may seem an unachievable luxury.
Furthermore, there are examples where we have seen elders who were capable of living at home and just plain lonely. With the right caregiver assigned to befriend them and help ensure their independence, we have witnessed a remarkable improvement in their outlook and general wellbeing. But how do you afford such long term care?
Long Term Care Planning Essentials
Admittedly, we have a biased viewpoint regarding home care, but our history has proven that for many people, home care is the right solution. Yet, not everyone can afford to have “assisted living” (home care) brought to them in their homes. Many wonder exactly how to fund home care. All over the nation, including Denver, long term care planning often shows reverse mortgages as a potential tool to help seniors fund their home care and accomplish their goal of remaining independent at home.
Is a reverse mortgage right for you? Maybe, maybe not, but with recent safeguards and regulations in place, reverse mortgages have become safe, viable long term care planning options for many. It’s certainly worth exploring.
Owner, Barton Home Care
Denver, Colorado