Moving a Parent into an Assisted Living Center

Recently my mother had a bout with a gastrointestinal virus that kept her in the hospital off and on for a month. Not only has she had this virus, she also has diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety issues, and blindness in one eye and the other eye not at 100 percent.

With these health issues and spending two weeks in a skilled nursing facility to help her build her strength up, she has now realized that she no longer can totally live alone. After several months of talking about moving her to an assisted living center, she now thought that it was a good idea with her health and eye sight issues.

Not being able to see well enough to cook the right foods she needs for nutrition, and her doctor talking with her about her eating and medication habits, she felt now was the time to make the move to an assisted living center. Not being able to fix at least two good meals for herself a day, she found that eating three good meals a day at the hospital and skilled nursing center actually was helping her diabetes, blood pressure, and anxiety issues.

During the past 30 days, my brother and myself have been working with an assisted living center, the senior complex where she presides, and her doctor to make the move easier for her and us. While it has taken many phone calls and a few trips to make these arrangements, the arrangements are now falling into place.

Often, your parents doctor and their place of residency will help with making the arrangements to make the move. For instance, her doctor provided a statement stating she needed to be placed in an assisted living center. With this in mind a phone call was made to her senior community living director who stated that a 30-day notice to vacate and a doctor’s note dated for as early in the month as possible would help her in legally breaking her lease without having to pay an extra months rent.

We also found out that her medications can be ordered through the assisted living centers medication place. This will also help her to ensure that her medications are ordered when needed without the worries.

There are many state facilities that will accept medic aid for elderly parents who are not quite ready for a nursing home but aren’t able to quite live by themselves. There are also some facilities that require the payments to be made personally from the residents own finances. Which ever the case needed for elderly parents, search your options through local assisted living centers and with medic aid.

Also, check into any military benefits for spouses of living or deceased military personnel. There may also be extra benefits for the military person and the spouse.

With the process of elimination that we have gone through to help our mother with her move, I hope these few tips and ideas can help anyone else who is or may find themselves in this situation.