Senior Care - What's the best environment for my elderly parent?

I’m Dave Ciccantelli, and I’m the owner of Assisted Living Locators Waukesha. In December of 2017, I launched the first franchise of Assisted Living Locators in Wisconsin after experiencing the challenges of trying to navigate the complicated number of senior care options for my father. Because of this, I plan, over the next several weeks, to help educate those of us who are looking at senior care options for our parents, relatives, or for ourselves. Because I’m local and in the community, I’m able to look at a wide range of options for seniors. I see my job as educating so people can make the best choice for their situation.

As our parents get older, we worry about finding the right location for our elderly mom or dad when they can no longer be at home. Today’s senior care industry is growing at a more rapid pace than ever, and an overabundance of care choices are available. But more options also means difficult decisions. From my own experience, and given the overwhelming amount of information available, finding the right environment can be challenging. Here are some basic definitions that should simplify the confusion:

Independent Living – Apartment-style living for the 55+ age demographic. Residents are usually still active & able to care for themselves with minimal help.

Skilled Nursing/Rehab – A facility like this is usually a stopover after being discharged from an extended hospital stay. The level of care is higher as the patient transitions from hospital to home.

Respite care – Short term stay for seniors who can’t be home alone. This is a great option when a full time caregiver (usually a family member) may be unavailable for several weeks.

Assisted Living – Residents typically require a moderate to higher level of assistance with meals, medications, mobility, bathing, and grooming. Many residents have chronic medical conditions and need more help with the activities of daily living.

Memory Care – Residents have usually been diagnosed with some form of dementia and require very active monitoring. They may struggle with memory and behavioral issues and can also be a flight risk. All of these challenges require a very active level of monitoring to reduce the risk of injuring themselves or others.

Hospice (palliative) – This is typically for patients at the end-of-life stage. The main goal is to keep them comfortable in their final days.

In-home care – Regular visits by a nurse or nurse’s aide to administer at-home care as needed. This is a wonderful cost-effective option enabling seniors to stay in their homes longer.

A thorough assessment of the situation, by a qualified heath care professional, based on your senior’s needs is the best way to determine the ideal placement for them.

In the coming weeks, I’ll examine each of the above in more detail, in order to help you with your decisions.

Assisted Living Locators offers a no cost service for seniors and their families providing expert advice on short and long-term care options, including in-home care, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and retirement apartments. For more information about Assisted Living Locators, call Dave Ciccantelli at 262-933.8107, email at dciccantelli@assistedlivinglocators.com, or visit our website at www.Waukesha.AssistedLivingLocators.com.