Where to Start with Planning for Long-Term Care

October is Long-Term Care Planning Month, which brings awareness to the collection of services that aid in assisting a senior’s personal care and/or health needs over a long period of time, including senior living options. Sound like something your loved one may need? At Benchmark, we’re here to help you start the conversation and work through what to think about.

HAVE THE DISCUSSION

The approach to having discussions about long-term  senior care is crucial. It’s important to keep your family, your loved one, and their healthcare provider actively participating in discussions and decisions. Getting to a consensus with family, especially amongst siblings, may create additional complexity. Click here for some tips from Fortune Well on how to keep the peace as you choose the right care level for your loved one.

TALK ABOUT TIMING

So, when’s the right time to transition to senior living? Factors like a senior’s current health, physical abilities, and changes in current living situations can be important factors. Seasonality can also be a consideration. If winter is on the horizon, getting your loved one settled into a safer living situation prior to the change in season is ideal. This way, you and your loved ones can enjoy the winter together, instead of worrying about seasonal challenges. Here are 4 more tips for making the move.

CHOOSE THE BEST LIVING ARRANGEMENT 

There are several good living options for seniors as they age: staying at home, moving in with a friend or relative, or the care and community of senior living.

Senior living, which offers an engaging and socially-stimulating environment, is considered more of a lifestyle option than simply care-focused. It’s designed to provide the day-to-day support, engagement, and socialization seniors need to stay as independent as possible and get more enjoyment out of life. If senior living is the best option, the next step is to choose the right community and level of care. Here are some resources on how to start your search for senior living and how to choose the right community.

CHOOSE THE LIVING EXPERIENCE 

In a senior living community, there are no chores, no cooking, no maintenance, and more fun. At Benchmark, we offer several different senior living options, depending on your loved one’s unique case. 

Independent Living communities, for instance, give community members the lifestyle they desire with an active social life. Assisted Living offers a little help and assistance each day, but only what’s needed. Within Benchmark’s Assisted Living communities, we offer several levels of care, ranging from Level I to Level V, depending on a resident’s needs. When more care is needed in the case of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diagnoses, a Memory Care senior living community may be the best choice. 

Most Benchmark Assisted Living communities also offer Mind and Memory Care, so residents can remain in the same community if even more care is needed. 62 of Benchmark’s Assisted Living communities offer Mind and Memory care neighborhoods, and 11 Benchmark communities are solely Mind and Memory Care communities, which offer additional specialized nutritional, cognitive, and behavioral support.

When there are healthcare needs, a Skilled Nursing community may be what is needed. This type of community differs from senior living in a number of ways with the primary focus being on medical care. 

PLAN FINANCIALLY & LEGALLY

Sorting out the finances for long-term care can feel complicated. We recommend reaching out to a financial advisor or planner when starting this process to talk about finances and to an attorney to talk about estate planning, insurance, wills and more. During the later stages of your care planning process, if you’ve decided a Benchmark community is the right choice, we encourage you to reach out to our Financial Concierge.

We can also help point you in the right direction for  help with bridge loans and other financing options for short-term financial solutions when the need for care arrives unexpectedly. Plus, eligible veterans can receive up to $25,000 per year from The Veteran’s Administration’s Aid & Attendance Benefit, and we can help successfully navigate all the options. Ready to dive in and skillfully compare senior care costs? This simple 1-2-3 article makes it a bit easier.

At Benchmark, we understand planning for long-term care is a series of conversations, a multitude of decisions, and a life-altering change, but we strive to make the change as seamless, stress-free and positive as possible. 

Click here to find the right community today.

Learn more about how Benchmark Senior Living can support your family’s transition.