seniors

Commonwealth Senior Living

Staying Home: Tips for Home Improvement

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The golden years of retirement should be a time of relaxation where one can enjoy doing what they love most in the comfort of their home. The truth is, however, there are often physical struggles that get in the way of this. For instance, one might find it harder to move around the house with ease, have difficulty with bathing, or find it harder to cook a nutritious meal by themselves. “It becomes a challenge because we live in Peter Pan houses, designed for people who never grow old,” said Susan Bosak, a social scientist who oversaw a program to boost intergenerational engagement. Aging in Place says an overwhelming amount of seniors plan to stay in their current homes. Read the full article here.

Maybe you’ve discovered that Mom and Dad have been having these issues but would like to stay at home for as long as possible. This likely means making some adjustments to the home. Fortunately, there is a way to make re-modeling happen in a timely, cost-effective manner. Fixr.com suggests it can take $350 to $9,500 on average to remodel a home for elderly care. This, of course, varies greatly on the amount of work needed and your location.

The re-modeling depends on what type of care you need as well. For instance, if mobility is an issue, you may consider widening doorways or installing ramps. If vision is an issue, installing light sensors that turn on when someone enters the room may be a consideration. It may be as simple as installing “grab rods” costing only $150 on average. It may even be as simple as lowering counter space height from the average 36 inches to 34 inches so they are more accessible to wheelchair users. You may find this is the best option for your parent or loved one who may not necessarily need full-time care in a senior living community.

When it comes to remodeling homes for seniors, there is plenty of research to support you. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 seniors over the age of 65 have fallen while at home each year. Falls are more likely within homes that don’t offer physical supports such as non-slip rugs. Similarly, senior remodeling is a growing market within the construction field. The number of contractors certified in remodeling homes for the elderly grows each year as the public realizes the many benefits they have to offer. Kris Lindahl Real Estate created a room-by-room guide beneficial improvements and helpful tips to minimize fall risks and increase accessibility.

With so many options for support, from remodeling and home health to senior living, it’s important to understand the costs, benefits, and lifestyles each of these options offer. After all, the most important thing is to ensure the comfort and safety of those you love.

For recommendations on realtors, repairs, home health, or senior living options in your area, please reach out to the community nearest you.

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Helping Families Make the Right Choice

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We’ve seen many families struggle on their path to find the perfect fit for their loved ones. So often, an adult child or spouse will recognize they need additional help, but it’s hard to decipher exactly what type of care makes the most sense. In fact, all most people have is questions like:

  • When driving becomes a struggle, is it time for your spouse to turn in the keys?
  • If Mom had a fall, will home health stopping by once a day be enough or should she have 24-hour care?
  • Dad’s forgetting to take his medicine and pay the bills. Is it time to consider a memory care community?

More and more families are beginning to face these same dilemmas. In fact, Statista reported that by 2050, over 22% of Americans will be over the age of 65. That’s a lot of people asking these questions and working to find the right support of their loved one.

Help is out there

Many adult children serve as caregivers for their parents in some capacity while also working. PBS has developed a helpful series named Caring for Mom and Dad which shares stories from families all over the country as they navigate the joys and challenges of caregiving.

Of course, in life, circumstances are fluid and each family’s needs and ability to provide support varies. Our goal is to improve the lives of seniors, their families, and each other. We know that the more information families have, the better choices they will be able to make, and this all translates to a higher quality of life for seniors.

That’s why we partnered with the decision-making experts at Roobrik to offer an anonymous online assessment for older adults and their families. This simple, conversational assessment asks 23 questions covering the current situation, concerns, care needs, and what kinds of things are important for the older adult. It takes just 4-5 minutes and provides families with a personalized report outlining the potential needs of their loved ones as well as the support options which may be appropriate.

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How to Pay for Senior Living

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When beginning to discuss making the move to senior living, almost all conversations involve the legal and financial issues families face. So, how much does senior living cost?

The short answer is that costs can vary. The pricing is dependent on the amount of care an individual needs. For example, an Independent Living apartment rate typically includes rent, housekeeping, utilities and one meal per day, while Assisted Living suite rates include all of the amenities as well as three meals and snacks, plus medication management. Families should take into account the level of support each individual needs. These are called level of care charges. The total cost for Assisted Living or Memory Care would include the base rent in addition to the level of care. This level is established by an assessment with our Resident Care Director.

Ultimately, the formula of how it is paid is different for every family. But just like college planning, it’s worth the time and effort to choose the right fit and craft a plan that makes sense for you.

While our transparent pricing on each of our community pages is an excellent starting point, it’s still important to schedule a time for our team to complete an assessment of the individual’s needs in order to get the full scope of services and fees.

To help fully understand your family’s current financial picture, download our Cost Comparison Tool now.

Engage Your Professional Team

Creating a plan to pay for senior living is a task best done in advance and can be a gift to your loved ones. Most families find that the most helpful part in this process is engaging experienced professionals to take look at their financial picture and guide them through each step on the way. Your professional team will be able to walk you through everything from selling your assets to a long term care insurance plan, but ultimately the common goal is planning for a future at a community that is the best fit for you.

         

Providing our residents and their families high quality care with dignity, respect, and compassion is our top priority at Commonwealth Senior Living, and it’s hard to put a price on that. Our team of Sales & Marketing Directors are here to help you though the process with customized plans for you and your loved ones.

Visit our communities page to schedule a visit with the community nearest you today!

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Taking the Reins of Your Retirement

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Join us on June 29th at 3pm for this free presentation by Hook Law Center on how to prepare for senior living. RSVP by emailing Marketing@commonwealthsl.com.

You likely began saving for retirement early in your career and made sure there was a plan in place for your kids’ college expenses. You are the kind of person who prides yourself in taking charge and being in control. You always made sure your loved ones had the very best and knew you were there to support them. Now is the time to reassure them that you have prepared for your next step in choosing a senior living community.

Many seniors find themselves blindsided by the need for additional care. Sadly, only around 1% of the US population is educated about senior living due to experiencing it as a family or from working in the industry. Oftentimes the choice of a senior living community ends up being made by an adult child or family member. This decision brings with it tremendous guilt and unnecessary stress. Planning in advance can be an incredible gift to your loved ones. But how much should this cost?

The cost of senior living depends on the size suite you select as well as the amount of support you require. On average this works out to be between $3,500-$5,000 per month. Families pay for senior living in a variety of ways. If you have invested in Long Term Care insurance, this is the time to reach out to your insurance provider and ask about qualifying for benefits. This is also a time when it might make sense to sell the home and use part of the sale to pay for senior living. There are also tax benefits to paying for senior living as well as bridge loans to cover payments for senior living while the house is on the market. Finally, if you served in the military during wartime, or had a spouse who served, you may be eligible for Veterans Aid & Attendance. This benefit combined with social security payments and savings often covers the cost of senior living. Ultimately, the formula of how it is paid works out to be different for every family. Just like college planning, it is worth the time and effort to choose the right fit and craft a plan that makes sense for you.

Join us for this free presentation to learn how to prepare for senior living financially, logistically and emotionally. We’ll give practical tips on how to organize your finances to create a budget, what steps to take, and how to choose the right fit for you if and when support is needed.

RSVP today at marketing@commonwealthsl.com for the day and time to join us locally in person or to join us virtually on June 29th at 3pm.

Click here for instructions on joining a Zoom meeting.

For more information about paying for senior living and receiving a personalized assessment, reach out to the community nearest you today.

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Planning for the Future

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You’re the kind of person who plans ahead. You chose a home that fit your budget and helped the kids pay for college. Now is the time to start preparing for your future by choosing a senior living community. But how much will it cost?

The cost of senior living depends on the size apartment or suite you select as well as the amount of support you require. On average, this works out to be between $3,500 – $5,000 per month.

Families pay for senior living in a variety of ways. If you have invested in Long Term Care Insurance, this is the time to reach out to your insurance provider and ask about qualifying for benefits. Many families sell their home and use part of the sale to pay for senior living. Finally, if you served in the military during wartime or had a spouse who served, you may be eligible for senior living benefits from Veterans Aid & Attendance. This benefit combined with social security payments and savings often covers the cost of senior living.

Ultimately, the formula of how senior living is paid works out to be different for every family. But just like any decision you make for the future, it is worth the time and effort to plan ahead, choose the right community, and design a plan that makes sense for you.

To receive a personalized assessment of the price of senior living, contact the community nearest you. 

Deciding to make the move to senior living is a huge step and again, seniors pay for this lifestyle in a multitude of ways. We want to make sure you have everything you need to make that decision.

To help further understand your full financial picture, take a look at our cost comparison tool by clicking the button below.

Senior women at home using tablet

Experiencing our communities in a virtual world

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Since stay-at-home orders began in mid-March, we have all learned to adjust to a new normal. This meant those rainy Saturdays spent at movie theaters, dinner reservations at our favorite restaurants, and lingering walks through museums would be put on hold for now. At the same time, the world began to adapt and respond to our need to explore and connect.

Google Arts and Culture opened up the world’s most respected museums to anyone with internet access. You can now spend hours studying works in Italy’s Uffizi Gallery or the MoMa from the comfort of your couch. Musicians united virtually to continue their concerts online. The New York Philharmonic dedicated this piece to the brave healthcare workers across the globe battling COVID-19. Even the National Parks created virtual tours and videos to help the world explore this country’s crown jewels safely.

At Commonwealth Senior Living, we wanted to ensure that families researching our communities would be able to explore our lifestyle while at the same time safeguarding the health of our residents. In April, we began offering virtual community experiences for families to get a sneak peak of what life could be like for their loved one at one of our communities. What does this mean? It means that families can call our community and schedule a time to connect via Facebook Messenger, Facetime, or Zoom to virtually explore our community and ask questions of and meet our dedicated and knowledgeable team. If families are not connected to Facebook, Zoom or an Apple device for Facetime, we can learn more about what families would like to see, record a video, and send it over via email or text.

In requesting a virtual community experience, think about what will be most important for you to see. Would you like to meet our Resident Care Director? Would your loved one be interested in seeing the garden? Is the view from the window of interest to you? Or perhaps, you would like to meet with one of our resident ambassadors and speak with them about their experience.

Understanding that for many families, the need for support in caring for a loved one has not paused just because we are under stay-at-home orders. Our hope is that making it easier to visit our communities virtually will help families feel comfortable with taking the next step to senior living.

Families across the country and around the world have discovered how to use technology to stay connected. At Commonwealth Senior Living, we are proud to be a part of that trend. If you or someone you know would like the opportunity to explore our lifestyle, please reach out to the community nearest you today. We are here for you.

 

the view from Abingdon

Cracking the Caregiving Code During COVID – Tips for Coping and Self-Care During Crisis

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As if the challenges of being a caregiver for someone you love isn’t challenging enough, here comes COVID 19. Everything you know about human connection and touch has been put to the test and a basic hug or handshake, now has the potential to do harm. All of the self-care practices that make caregiving just a little bit more manageable are suddenly closed and unavailable. Now what?

Take a deep breath, count to 10, you’ve got this. The basic principles of self-care still apply and are still available to you, they may just look a little different. Taking a walk around the block, while maintaining your distance from the neighbors is still one of the best ways to clear your mind, get fresh air and sunshine and that powerful and necessary vitamin D. When you need a little social distance from the one your caring for, a glass of lemonade on the patio for 10 minutes while  they rest, can have the same effect. Take time for yourself to still do the things you enjoy like reading, writing in a journal, gardening; all free, safe and effective tools to keep help you refocus and stay energized.

If you need a little more structure, try a relaxation app on your phone. Some free apps that offer guided meditation, inspiring images and music include:

Many of us are missing  face-to-face connections with  friends and  other family members. Try a group video chat site like ZOOM https://zoom.us/ at no cost and see your best friends and your neighbors all at the same time. You’ll feel like you are in the same room but socially safe and physically distant. Of course, the familiar applications are also available such as Skype, Facetime, and Facebook Messenger Video.

Research shows that getting outside in nature has many mental health benefits as well. Walking has been proven effective in reducing anxiety and depression, and there is further evidence that walking in nature improves those results even further. That’s because different parts of our brain activate in nature. When you need to get out of the house, taking a drive on a nice day with the windows open and music playing helps dispel the feeling of being cooped up. You can do this alone or with the one you’re caring for. The drive will do them good too. Visit an open, free state park, walking trail, lake or riverside bench or path. Go fishing, fly a kite, get take-out and have a picnic and enjoy the spring weather. If it’s raining or lightly thundering, open your windows and enjoy natures relaxing show.

While COVID-19 may be changing everything we know about how we enjoy and take care of ourselves, maybe the silver lining in all of the chaos is the opportunity to reconnect with the simple things in life that we may have taken for granted in the past. Maybe this forced revisit to a simpler time, before technology and schedules and the loud busyness of life became the norm, is a blessing in disguise. Finding the positive in dire times, is also a form of self-care. Take a deep breath, count to 10, and take a moment to find the gratitude and joy wherever you may be, in whatever form life takes.

Our communities will be hosting virtual discussions on coping techniques throughout the month of May. Please reach out to the community nearest you for more information and to RSVP.

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What is the secret to a long life?

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Watch as Susan Pinker, developmental psychologist and TED speaker discusses “the blue zone”, an area on the Italian island of Sardinia where there are six times as many centenarians as on the main land and ten times as many as North America. Why? Friendships and regular social interactions. The harm of being isolated is a real and present danger. The importance of human interactions is the most important factor in longevity. Watch below. If you’re curious how Commonwealth Senior Living is engaging residents in activities, social events and daily excursions, watch our Facebook pages for pictures of our programming, schedule a community experience or contact us with questions at AsktheExperts@commonwealthsl.com.