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Many people from the Baby Boomer generation find themselves in what is known as the sandwich generation, where they are caring for both their children and their parents at the same time. Caring for your parents may put you in an uneasy situation, especially since your parents raised you. Baby Boomers often face decisions to ensure the best living arrangements for their parents. Many struggle to understand what their options are? Where do you begin to look for answers? Today, most people rely on the internet to find the information they need.
With a big decision like this that involves your parents, the first place to look for answers is to talk with them, assuming they are able to partake in the conversation. What do they want to do? Do they need immediate help or are they looking for a long term solution? One of the most important pieces to the puzzle is to get an understanding of their finances. Do your parents have a long term care insurance policy? Do they have a sizable nest egg and are they willing to spend their funds on the care they need? Can they afford to stay in their home or is a reverse mortgage an option? These are the answers you need as a starting point to see what care options you have. Keep in mind it has been shown that the loss of control over the decision to move can affect older adults satisfaction with services was well as their emotional well-being, so it is very important to keep your loved one included on the decision making process.
Some people believe if your loved ones are struggling to handle their daily activities you have only two options: have them move in with you or place your parents in an assisted living. Providing care for your parents in your own home may seem to be working out at the beginning, but can become complicated, an emotional nightmare and become an unexpected burden on the whole family. Loving your parent is quite different than living with them. But moving your parent into an assisted living facility may leave you feeling guilty and cause your parents to have feelings of resentment.
But we want to let you know, there is a third option: care in their home from local home care agencies. In-Home Care is an option that many people overlook or are unaware of. For those that have worked hard all their lives and have the financial means, in-home care can truly be the best option for everyone. Your parent gets to remain in their own home with comfortable surroundings and you can have peace of mind knowing their health and safety is being looked after.
In-home care can be provided for as little as one hour, one day a week, up to 24 hours, 7 days a week. Care can be provided by home care agencies or private caregivers. An agency is licensed, bonded and insured, but only agencies that hire caregivers as W2 employees make sure the caregiver in the home is also insured. Agencies with W2 caregivers are responsible for background screening, hiring, handling payroll, training their staff, AND supervision of your loved one and the caregiver.
Home care agencies can provide your loved one with assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL’s) such as meal preparation, medication reminders, housekeeping, and transportation. Or even provide companion care that improves their overall quality of life. Some agencies can also provide a Home Health Aide to assist with hands on activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as bathing, transferring, feeding and help with personal care in the bathroom. The best agencies will send out a case manager to meet with your parents, learn about their individual needs and develop a care plan which allows them to live independently with the right amount of help in the comfort of their own home. At the same time as an In-Home Consultation, a home safety review should be done to address any safety issues that need to be addressed to help prevent unexpected injuries and falls. Since your loved one’s needs can change quickly, the agency’s case manager should be checking in on your parents on a regular basis and revising and updating the plan of service as needed. At Comfort Keepers, we are unique in that we also have a Family Care Portal so approved family members can login, read and leave notes for staff, check caregiver schedules, and review invoices. This portal gives our clients the ability to be more involved in their parents care no matter where they live.
One of the most important aspects to look at when considering care is the cost. Depending on the need, in-home care can be much less expensive. Some things to look at would be:
Even in the worst case scenario, family and friends might handle some of the needed schedule and supplement with professional caregivers. Let’s look at some typical costs:
If you needed a Home Health Aide 3 hours 5 days a week. That would be 15 hours x $ 23/ hour = $345 a week or $1380 a month. Typical rates for Assisted Living Facilities in Sarasota average between $3000 and over $6000 for room and board depending on the room type and amount of care needed. If the person that is receiving care has a spouse, with In-Home care, a spouse is often cared for at no additional cost, but in some assisted living you may need to add more to the numbers above. New technology and monitoring systems can help to offset some of the needs of having a caregiver onsite. Technologies like medication dispensers, emergency monitors and telehealth systems which can alert a responsible party if there is something out of the ordinary. When making your decision, please keep in mind that in assisted living you don’t get one-on-one care. Often times you might be sharing a room.
The benefits of people remaining in their home are numerous. Keeping your loved one in the home they lived in for many years may lead to increased longevity. People with cognitive issues, like Alzheimer’s or dementia, typically do best in a familiar environment. Their homes are filled with fond memories of raising their children, having their grandchildren come for visits, family dinners and holidays.
As always, Comfort Keepers Sarasota stands ready to help your family with discussing the options. (941) 921-4747
For professionals serving seniors, a home can sometimes be the biggest piece of the transition puzzle.But what happens when that home isn't an ordinary property?What if your client owns a $1 million, $2 million or multimillion-dollar luxury or waterfront home?A senior may be downsizing, transitioning to independent or assisted living, moving closer to family, settling an estate, or simply deciding that maintaining a large property no longer makes sense.For senior living professionals, elder law attorneys, estate planners, financial advisors, care managers, move managers and other professionals helping with that transition, there is an important option worth knowing about:The homeowner may be able to sell a luxury property privately and directly, without first putting it on the public market.Why Can Selling a Senior's Luxury Home Be Different?Luxury and waterfront properties can present challenges that aren't always present in a typical home sale.The property may be a waterfront estate on Casey Key, a residence on Bird Key, a condominium overlooking Sarasota Bay, or a distinctive home on Siesta Key or Longboat Key.The owner may have lived there for decades.The home may contain valuable possessions, artwork and deeply personal belongings. It may need updating. Adult children may live hundreds of miles away. And the family may already be coordinating a significant life transition.For some homeowners, maximum exposure to the real estate market is the priority. In that situation, publicly marketing the property may make sense.But other seniors have very different priorities:Privacy. Simplicity. Certainty. Flexibility.They may not want strangers repeatedly touring their home.They may not want photographs of their home's interior and possessions published online.They may not want to renovate, stage or prepare the property for the luxury market.And they may not want their move dependent upon months of marketing, inspections and a buyer obtaining financing.For those homeowners, a private direct sale may be another option worth considering.Can a Senior Sell a Luxury Home Without Publicly Listing It?Yes.A luxury homeowner can explore a direct sale without first broadly marketing the property.Private Luxury Home Sales considers select luxury, waterfront and distinctive properties throughout Sarasota and Florida's Gulf Coast for direct purchase. A homeowner can request a confidential property review before deciding whether a private sale or broader market exposure better fits their objectives.This can allow an owner to explore an offer without first going through the traditional process of preparing and publicly marketing the property.Why Might Privacy Matter to an Older Luxury Homeowner?For some affluent seniors, privacy isn't simply a preference.It can be an important part of the selling decision.Imagine a homeowner who has spent 25 or 30 years in the same waterfront residence.Inside may be family photographs, artwork, collections, jewelry, antiques and other personal possessions.A traditional luxury marketing campaign can involve professional photography, video, aerial photography, online advertising and numerous people entering the property.Some homeowners are completely comfortable with that exposure.Others aren't.A private direct sale provides another route. When Private Luxury Home Sales evaluates a property for potential direct purchase, broad public marketing isn't necessary merely to consider the home. For a senior who values discretion, that difference can matter.Does the Luxury Home Need to Be Renovated First?Not necessarily.One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding high-value real estate is that every luxury property must be extensively updated before it can be sold.A longtime owner may have an exceptional property in an exceptional location while the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring or other features are dated.Preparing that property for the retail luxury market could potentially involve substantial renovations, contractors, staging and months of work.A direct buyer evaluates the property differently.Private Luxury Home Sales considers properties as-is, including residences requiring updates or significant renovation. That can be particularly relevant when an older homeowner or the homeowner's family doesn't want to oversee a major renovation before selling.Which Senior Clients Might Benefit From Knowing About This Option?You don't need to determine whether a private sale is right for your client.You simply need to recognize situations where having another option could be valuable.Consider the homeowner who is:Downsizing from a large luxury residence. Transitioning into independent or assisted living. Moving closer to adult children. Managing a home after the death of a spouse. Selling an inherited luxury or waterfront property. Handling a property through an estate or trust. Living out of state while responsible for a parent's Florida property. Facing substantial deferred maintenance or renovation. Concerned about privacy and public exposure. Looking for greater certainty about the timing of the sale. Those are situations where understanding both the public-market and private-sale alternatives can help a family make a more informed decision.What's the Most Important Question to Ask Your Client?There is one question professionals can ask that may reveal a great deal:What matters most to you when the home is sold?Listen carefully to the answer.Is it achieving maximum exposure to the marketplace?Maintaining privacy?Avoiding repairs?Controlling the closing date?Avoiding repeated showings?Reducing uncertainty?Making the transition as simple as possible?There isn't one correct answer.The homeowner's priorities should help determine which selling strategy deserves consideration.Private Sale vs. Traditional Luxury ListingA private direct sale and a traditional luxury listing serve different objectives.Traditional public marketing provides broader exposure to potential buyers and may create greater price discovery and competition.A private direct sale can emphasize privacy, simplicity, convenience, an as-is transaction and greater certainty about the process.Neither approach should automatically be assumed to be right for every senior homeowner.The value to your client comes from understanding that there is more than one option.One More Resource for Your Professional ToolboxProfessionals serving seniors don't need to become real estate experts.But they are frequently the first people to recognize a problem.A senior living advisor may hear:Mom is ready to move, but we don't know what to do with the house.An elder law attorney may be helping a family deal with an estate containing a multimillion-dollar residence.A move manager may discover that preparing a 4,000-square-foot waterfront home for the market is becoming overwhelming.A financial advisor may have a client whose largest single asset is a luxury property.Knowing that a confidential direct-sale option exists gives you another resource to share with the family.Private Luxury Home Sales specializes in select luxury, waterfront and distinctive properties throughout Sarasota and Florida's Gulf Coast. Its Seniors Blue Book profile specifically includes waterfront estates, Gulf and bayfront homes, boating properties, inherited luxury homes, second homes and properties requiring substantial updating. When You Encounter the Right ClientIf you're working with a senior or family who owns a luxury or waterfront property, consider asking one additional question:Would they like to understand their private-sale option before deciding how to sell the property?There is no obligation to accept an offer simply because the property is evaluated.Sometimes the homeowner will determine that traditional market exposure is the better choice.Sometimes privacy, simplicity and certainty will matter more.Either way, knowing the options before making the decision is valuable.Private Luxury Home SalesSarasota & Florida Gulf CoastPrivate Direct As-Is Close on Your Timeline For more information, please contact Jeff Nemeth at 941-202-6957
Life can take you anywhere until knee arthritis pain slows you down. Whether its walking, golfing, traveling, or playing with your grandkids, the activities you love shouldnt be limited by chronic knee pain. So, whats the solution?For many, knee replacement surgery is an effective option to reduce pain from arthritis and continue to live an active life. The great news is that there are several different types of knee replacement surgery, as well as advanced surgical techniques that can even speed up your healing.Whether you're just beginning to explore treatment options or preparing for surgery, our board-certified orthopedic surgeons at AdventHealth can help you understand the different types of knee replacement procedures and what to expect throughout your recovery journey.Who Needs Knee Replacement SurgeryThe leading cause of knee replacement surgery is osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition that gradually wears down the cartilage in the knee joint. As the damage progresses, pain and stiffness can worsen over time, making everyday activities increasingly difficult.Common symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include:Gradual knee pain that worsens with activityKnee stiffnessKnee swellingPain after extended sitting or restingKnee pain that continues to get worseIf you have osteoarthritis, your doctor will start by offering the most conservative treatments to alleviate your pain.Some initial treatments for knee osteoarthritis might include:Weight lossPhysical therapyAnti-inflammatory medicationsCortisone injectionsViscosupplementation or gel injectionsIf these strategies are not helpful and your condition worsens, your doctor might offer knee replacement surgery as a promising option to reduce pain and return to the active life you love again.Types of Knee Replacement SurgeryNot every knee replacement is the same. While a total knee replacement restores the entire joint with an artificial implant, some patients may qualify for a partial knee replacement, which replaces only the damaged portion of the knee and preserves more of the natural joint.What to Expect Before Knee Replacement SurgeryOnce you and your surgeon have worked together to decide the right treatment plan for you, youll likely need to make an appointment with your primary care doctor to assess your general health and clear you for surgery. You may also need an evaluation and clearance from your dentist.Once this step is completed, youll be able to schedule your knee replacement surgery appointment. You may also need a CT scan of your knee so your surgeon can more precisely customize your replacement to most naturally fit your knee anatomy and movement.In preparation, make sure you have someone who can take you to your surgery appointment and be there as your caregiver after the procedure. This person will be able to drive you home, get any prescribed medications and help maintain your comfort after surgery.Your medical team might also advise you to stop taking certain medications (such as blood thinners, NSAIDs like aspirin or other supplements) up to a week before your surgery date. Youll also be advised to fast prior to surgery. In most cases, you cant have anything to eat or drink (including water) after midnight on the night before your surgery.Some other ways to prepare your home ahead of time include:Setting up your comfortable space for resting and elevating your legClearing the floor and pathways of fall and trip risks such as rugsHaving ice packs frozen and ready for when you return homeWhat to Expect During Knee Replacement SurgeryYour exact recovery will depend on exactly what type of procedure you are having as well as your overall health. Some patients may have outpatient knee replacement surgery and go home the same day. This is especially true for minimally invasive surgical procedures. Other knee replacement procedures may require you to stay in the hospital from one to four days.On the day of surgery, you'll be prepped for the procedure and given anesthesia. Most knee replacement surgeries take about one to two hours to complete. Afterward, you'll recover under close observation before receiving instructions on pain management, medications, physical therapy and follow-up care. To help you safely regain mobility, you'll likely use crutches or a walker during the early stages of recovery.What to Expect After Knee Replacement SurgeryYour surgeon will provide you with a follow-up appointment and a prescription for physical therapy. Physical therapy after surgery is essential to regain your strength and get optimal results from your knee replacement. Physical therapy usually begins immediately after surgery and may continue for up to six weeks.After roughly six weeks, most knee replacements are up to 80% healed. After three months, most achieve 90% healing and by one year, most patients are back to their active lifestyle with nearly complete knee function and comfort.Whole-Person Orthopedic CareOur orthopedic experts offer advanced knee replacement options that put your whole-health first. To learn more about the services we offer, visit AdventHealthPortCharlotte.com.
Looking for comfortable, worry-free senior living in Sarasota? Suncoast Club at Prestancia offers assisted living and memory care options in a beautiful community designed to provide comfort, convenience, and connection.With shared apartments starting at $3,875, residents can enjoy all-inclusive pricing that includes utilities, three meals each day, weekly cleaning, linens and laundry, daily trash pickup, and assistance with daily activities such as dressing, grooming, and showering.Suncoast Club at Prestancia offers a variety of room options, including private standard suites, one-bedroom/one-bath apartments, and one-bedroom/two-bath apartments. Additional services and accommodations are also available to help meet individual needs.Residents can enjoy inviting common areas, comfortable dining spaces, beautiful surroundings, and opportunities for social engagement and activitiesall while receiving personalized support in a welcoming environment.Located at 3749 Sarasota Square Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238, Suncoast Club at Prestancia provides assisted living and memory care with a focus on helping residents enjoy each day with comfort and peace of mind.Call 941-922-1669 or visit SuncoastClubSL.com to learn more and schedule a visit.