Caring for Mom and Dad: Where to Look for Help
July 12, 2017 | Blog | Reading Time 3:00 Minutes
As parents age, more often than not the need for help gradually becomes apparent. However, there can also be a sudden, obvious need, such as a fall or stroke that requires the need for physical or occupational therapy, or ‘round-the-clock assistance. When a shift in care is needed, whether for long-term planning or immediate care, there are many places you can look to for help. Below are a few sources of information that could be useful on your mission to find proper care for an aging adult.
AARP
AARP’s online Caregiving Resource Center is a great starting point for finding help for your loved one. There are articles and videos offering the latest information on caregiving and caregiver support. There’s an easy-to-use assessment tool to help you figure out senior care costs based on different care options, such as independent living, assisted living and memory care communities as well as home health providers and continuing care communities like Gable Pines.
The AARP caregivers online community is a way for those taking care of an aging adult to share experiences, ask questions and discuss needs. This page also includes trending topics of importance to seniors and their caregivers.
LeadingAge
Another great resource for information on aging services is LeadingAge’s Consumer Hub. It offers information and support to help people make the most of the aging experience, including a directory of not-for-profit organizations committed to meeting people’s needs and preferences as they age.
There are daily postings to keep you informed on the news of the day as it relates to elder care – whether grassroots advocacy for aging adults or the latest in residential and community care, it gives you a daily snapshot of what’s trending in this arena.
If you click on the For Consumers tab in the top menu bar, you can then choose from an Aging Services Directory, a Planning and Paying page chock full of content related to planning and paying for aging services, and a Caregiving Resource page that includes videos, guides, websites and other resources that LeadingAge members have developed specifically for caregivers.
Retirement Options
For those who are new to researching retirement community systems, sifting through senior living options and understanding terminology can be overwhelming. A short list of senior living options includes:
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Nursing Homes
- Alzheimer’s or Memory Care
- Residential Care Homes
- Respite Care
- Home Care
One good go-to guide that explains each of these senior living options along with a cost comparison chart is HelpGuide.org. This site offers up many links to other helpful resources.
Gable Pines Website
The website for Gable Pines at Vadnais Heights, a senior living community located Vadnais, Minnesota, features a helpful Family Resource Page that is a great resource for answering caregiver questions surrounding everything from knowing when it’s time for a loved one to move into an assisted living community, to what to type of help or living environment to look for if your parent or aging loved one has progressive dementia. Our site even offers a glossary of terms to help understand different plans, services and senior living options as well as a collection of links to organizations and other helpful resources on aging.
If your question isn’t answered on the Gable Pines FAQ page, we invite you to contact us via email or phone. We will either be able to answer your question or direct you to the appropriate place to get your questions answered.