Balancing Family Life and the Care of Elderly Parents

Aging rarely follows a predictable path.  Learn how CareAparent helps Minnesota seniors remain at home with personal care, skilled nursing, therapy and support that evolves as care needs change.One month, an older adult may be living completely independently. Later, they may need a little help around the house, assistance after a hospital stay, physical therapy to regain strength, medication management or more advanced nursing support.For families, each change can bring another round of questions.Who should we call? What kind of care does Mom need now? Will we need to find another provider? Who will coordinate everything?Those questions can become especially stressful when a family is already dealing with a hospitalization, illness or sudden change in a loved one's abilities.That's why having a care provider that can adapt as needs change can make such a difference.For more than 10 years, CareAparent has helped Minnesota seniors and their families receive personalized care in the place many older adults most want to remaintheir own home. Today, CareAparent provides a continuum of in-home services throughout the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. CareAparentIt May Start With Just a Little HelpSometimes the first sign that an aging parent needs assistance is subtle.Maybe Dad isn't keeping up with housekeeping like he once did. Mom may be having difficulty getting dressed or safely taking a shower. Meals aren't being prepared regularly, medications are becoming confusing, or an adult child is spending more and more time helping with everyday tasks.That doesn't necessarily mean an older adult can no longer live independently.The right support can help make independence possible for longer.CareAparent provides personal care that can include assistance with bathing, dressing and grooming, as well as light housekeeping, laundry and medication reminders. Care can be customized based on the individual's needs rather than forcing the person into a predetermined schedule or level of service. CareAparentFor families, that flexibility matters.The goal isn't to take over someone's life. It's to provide enough assistance so the person can continue participating in it.Then Something ChangesA fall occurs.There's a hospital stay.A chronic condition becomes more difficult to manage.An older adult needs help recovering from surgery.Suddenly, the type of support that worked six months ago may no longer be enough.This is where continuity of care becomes particularly important.Instead of requiring a family to begin searching for an entirely different organization, CareAparent can provide skilled services through licensed medical professionals, including skilled nursing, medication management, wound care, physical therapy and occupational therapy. CareAparentThat allows care to evolve along with the person.Coming Home From the Hospital Can Be a Vulnerable TimeDischarge day can feel like a victoryand it is.But getting home doesn't necessarily mean the recovery is finished.There may be new medications to manage, mobility limitations, wounds requiring attention, exercises to complete or everyday activities that suddenly feel more difficult.Family members may receive discharge instructions but still wonder how they're going to manage everything once their loved one gets home.CareAparent specifically works with individuals transitioning home from hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other acute-care settings. Its skilled services are designed to support recovery and continuity of care in the home. CareAparentFor an older adult, recovering in familiar surroundings can also mean sleeping in their own bed, following familiar routines and remaining close to the people and things that bring comfort.Therapy Can Help Restore IndependencePhysical and occupational therapy aren't simply about completing exercises.They can be important tools for maintaining independence.Physical therapists can work with older adults experiencing pain, injury, illness or age-related declines in mobility. Treatment can address strength, balance, endurance and safer movement.Occupational therapists look at everyday functionhelping individuals find safer and more effective ways to accomplish the activities that are important in daily life.Together, those services can help an older adult work toward a very meaningful goal:Doing more for themselves. CareAparentFamilies Need Support TooWhen someone needs care, the impact extends beyond that individual.Spouses and adult children frequently become caregivers themselvescoordinating appointments, checking medications, helping with meals, managing household responsibilities and worrying about what happens when they aren't there.Over time, those responsibilities can become overwhelming.Professional in-home care can provide something important for both generations.The older adult receives personalized assistance.The family gets to spend more time being family.That distinction matters.A daughter shouldn't always have to be the nurse, housekeeper or care coordinator. A spouse shouldn't have to handle every caregiving responsibility alone.Having trusted support can make the entire family's situation more manageable.Specialized Support for Minnesota VeteransVeterans and their families may also have access to services they don't realize are available.CareAparent serves veterans throughout the seven-county Twin Cities metro as a Home Health Community Provider. Depending upon eligibility and authorization, VA-supported services can include skilled nursing, therapy, respite care, homemaking and home health aide assistance. CareAparentFor families of veterans, understanding available benefits can be an important part of developing a long-term care plan.One Relationship as Needs EvolvePerhaps one of the most reassuring things a family can hear is:You don't have to figure out the next step alone.CareAparent's model is designed around continuity. Personal care, skilled nursing, therapy and additional support can work together so that when circumstances change, the care plan can change too. CareAparentThat can mean fewer unfamiliar faces, fewer transitions between organizations and less time for families spent searching for the next provider.Instead, there is one relationship and a care team that already understands the individual.Aging at Home Should Still Feel Like HomeUltimately, home care isn't simply about completing tasks.It's about helping someone continue living a life that feels familiar and meaningful.It's having coffee in your own kitchen.Sleeping in your own bed.Seeing neighbors you recognize.Following your own schedule.Having family visit without visiting hours.And continuing to make choices about how you live your day.CareAparent describes its approach as combining clinical care with hospitality and personalized attention. The organization has served Minnesota families for more than a decade and provides care throughout Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. CareAparentAs needs change, the answer doesn't always have to be changing where someone lives.Sometimes, the answer is bringing the right care to where they already call home.   Learn more about CareAparent's personalized in-home care services and find resources to help your family navigate changing care needs.  Call us at 651-702-HOME (4663) or visit our website at www.careaparent.com

When a Senior Needs to Move From a Longtime Home: A Family Guide to Planning the TransitionThe phone call often begins with a simple sentence:Mom can't manage the house anymore.Or:Dad is having trouble with the stairs.Sometimes the issue is maintenance. Sometimes it is mobility. Sometimes an older adult needs to move into assisted living or memory care.Whatever the reason, families can quickly discover that a senior relocation involves far more than putting a house on the market.There are real-estate decisions, emotional considerations, moving logistics, family conversations and often a very short timeline.Planning ahead can make an enormous difference.Recognizing When a Home May No Longer Be the Right FitFamilies should be careful about making assumptions based solely on age.Many older adults remain highly independent and perfectly comfortable in their homes.The question is not, Is this person old enough to move?Instead, consider whether the home continues to support the person's current lifestyle.Possible signs that it may be time to consider another housing option include: Difficulty managing stairs Unused rooms becoming difficult to maintain Repeated home-maintenance problems Difficulty keeping up with yard work Increasing transportation challenges Social isolation A desire to live closer to family A desire for a lower-maintenance home A planned move into independent living, assisted living or memory care When safety or medical needs are involved, families should rely on appropriate healthcare and senior-care professionals for those assessments.The real-estate question comes afterward:What housing solution makes sense for the next stage?The REALTOR's Role in a Complex Senior TransitionA senior-focused REALTOR does not replace an attorney, financial advisor, healthcare professional, care manager or senior move manager.Instead, the REALTOR can become one important member of the larger transition team.For Monica Reddin, that role can include helping families evaluate the sale of a longtime home, identify appropriate housing options and coordinate the real-estate process.When the Move Is Connected to Assisted Living or Memory CareA move into assisted living or memory care can create additional urgency.The family may need to prepare a home for sale while simultaneously helping a parent transition to a new living environment.In these circumstances, communication becomes especially important.Families should clarify: Who is making decisions? What does the senior want? What is the timeline? What belongings are moving? What needs to be sold or donated? What repairs are necessary? Who will handle the home? What professionals need to be involved? A written checklist can prevent important details from being forgotten.Don't Wait Until Everything Is PerfectOne of the common problems in a senior relocation is trying to accomplish everything at once.Families may think the home must be completely emptied before speaking with a REALTOR.That is not necessarily the case.An initial conversation can help establish priorities.For example, Monica can help a family understand the likely real-estate process while the family works separately on sorting belongings and coordinating the senior's next residence.The earlier professionals become involved, the more opportunity there may be to create a manageable timeline.Preparing a Longtime Monmouth County Home for SaleLongtime homes often need a different preparation strategy than recently purchased properties.The goal is not necessarily to renovate everything.Instead, focus on improvements that may matter to buyers.Depending on the property, that might include: Removing excess furniture Improving curb appeal Addressing deferred maintenance Freshening paint Improving lighting Removing personal clutter Making rooms easier for buyers to visualize Completing necessary repairs A REALTOR can provide market-specific guidance on which improvements may be worthwhile.Give the Senior a VoiceEven when family members are helping, the older adult should be included whenever possible.A home may represent decades of identity and independence.Moving can feel like losing control.Families can help by offering choices:Would you rather look at these two communities?Which furniture would you like to take?Would you prefer a smaller house or an apartment?Which belongings are most important to you?Small decisions can help preserve a sense of ownership throughout a major transition.The Emotional Side of Selling a Family HomeThere is a reason people call certain properties a family home.It may be where children grew up, holidays were celebrated and grandchildren visited.Selling it can be emotionally difficult even when everyone agrees that a move is necessary.Monica understands that dimension of the work.It is always an honor that my clients have chosen to involve me in their next chapter of their lives; I take that responsibility to heart.That philosophy reflects an important point: senior relocation is not simply another real-estate transaction.Building the Right Professional TeamDepending on the circumstances, a senior transition may involve: REALTOR Elder-law attorney Financial advisor CPA Geriatric care manager Senior move manager Professional organizer Moving company Estate-sale professional Home-care provider Senior living advisor Healthcare professionals Each professional has a different role.The REALTOR can help coordinate the housing and property-sale portion while other specialists address their areas of expertise.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhen should a family contact a REALTOR if a senior needs to move?As early as possible, especially if the home will need to be sold. An early conversation can help families understand the real-estate timeline.Does a senior have to sell immediately after moving to assisted living?Not necessarily. Timing depends on the family's financial, legal and personal circumstances and should be discussed with the appropriate professionals.Should families renovate a longtime home before selling?Not automatically. The appropriate improvements depend on the property's condition, local market and likely buyer expectations.How can families make downsizing less stressful?Break the process into smaller decisions, start early, preserve important memories and involve the senior in decisions whenever possible.Who can help sell a senior's home in Monmouth or Ocean County?A REALTOR experienced in senior relocation can help families navigate the real-estate portion of the transition and coordinate the timing of the sale.Learn MoreIf your family is beginning a senior relocation or preparing to sell a longtime home, visit Monica Reddin's Seniors Blue Book Listing for more information: Homepage - MonicaReddin

Passions Grow, Passions Bloom: Cultivating Wellness at Willow Valley Communities Among the most popular passions at Willow Valley Communities is gardening. And, Residents here have a wide variety of ways to indulge. Three generous gardens are situated across our sprawling 210-acre campus for Residents to use in a multitude of configurations of their choosing. Willow Valley Communities hardworking Grounds Team tills each garden in the spring and plows them in the fall, making them ready for Residents to dig right in. Whether Residents are experienced pros or novices, gardening is a wonderful way for them to get outside, enjoy nature and each other, and learn new things. Some Residents have been gardening for decades, while others have only started gardening after moving to Willow Valley Communities. In keeping with our Life Lived Forward philosophy, some Willow Valley Communities Residents take their love of gardening to deeper levels. For example, several Residents from across the country have achieved the distinction of Master Gardener. Master Gardeners are certified in their home state, and the program can take six months to a year to complete and includes a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training, a score of 80 percent on the final exam, and 50 hours of volunteer service. In another example, Residents Annabelle Simpson and Susan Kelly worked with the Penn State Extension of the Pennsylvania State University to have one of their gardens certified as an official Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Garden. The stunning garden is well-known for attracting huge numbers of bees, butterflies, insects, and birds, helping our ecosystem to thrive. Residents are also able to partner their gardening skills with their desire to volunteer and give back to the Lancaster community. With the areas rich, fertile soil, and the extra special care and attention the plants receive, Residents often have an abundance of vegetables and donate them regularly. Throughout the growing season, the Solanco Neighborhood Ministries food bank receives a variety of beans, lettuce, kale, peas, carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and much more from Willow Valley Communities Resident gardens. Additionally, every fall, a harvest of hundreds of pounds of sweet potatoes and butternut squash goes to the Lancaster County Food Hub, a community resource for free, nutritious food and gently used clothing. Some Residents maintain gardening plots every year just for this purpose.Annabelle Simpson and Susan Kelly Gardening time is couple time for Residents Mike and Susan Ziegler. Sue is an avid gardener, and Mike loves being outdoors supporting her gardening passion at Willow Valley Communities. They both love being together in nature, and Sue is amazed by how magical gardening can be. Its just a miracle when the seeds come up, she says. Resident Pat Mortensen challenges herself every year by growing something completely different. Once she enjoyed a robust harvest of King Tut Purple Peas, a very rare garden pea said to have been taken out of the tomb of King Tut! Resident and Master Gardener Angela Booker-White is originally from Virginia but has lived all over the country. Her interest in gardening grew as she read and learned more about it. In her plot at Spring Run, Angela grows all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and flowers and always tries something new. She has the most success with seeds she purchases from the dollar store! Angela has also learned how gardening can help during challenging times. She is grateful to her garden, as well as to her fellow Willow Valley Communities gardeners, for helping her during the difficult time of her husbands unexpected passing. Gardeners, and she doesnt know exactly who, would come and help by doing extra work around her plot. Residents just came in and helped, Angela says. Weeding, cutting, trimming, harvesting whatever work needed to be done. Thats the way Residents are here at Willow Valley Communities: very supportive. Resident Keith Yoder, who coordinates the Spring Run Garden, is not at all surprised by the variety of gardeners at Willow Valley Communities or by the reasons they enjoy the activity so much. He agrees that gardening is definitely a hobby that enhances well-being. Though hes known this himself for years, he refers to an article put out by CNBC that states how gardening can add years to your life. And life to your years, Keith adds. Gardening gets you into nature. Its good exercise for your body and your mind plus, you get to eat what you grow!