Home Care VS a Retirement Community

As mom or dad start showing signs of slowing down, families are faced with the question of how to keep them safe and ensure they get the care they need. Whether it is unsteadiness on their feet putting them at risk for a fall, struggling to handle daily personal care or social isolation, you want what is best for them. 

Many times families’ first thoughts are to have mom or dad move in with them rather than into a senior living community. However before you open your home to mom or dad, experts say you need to look at the broader picture. This includes taking into account the added cost of another person sharing the home as well as the various care services they will need to attend to themselves or to hire outside help. 

The AARP reports approximately 48 million Americans provide unpaid care to an adult family member or friend. In doing so, they say eighty percent of caregivers report routine out-of-pocket expenses that average around $7,242 annually. “On average, family caregivers are spending 26% of their income on caregiving activities, according to results of the national study of nearly 2,400 caregivers in the spring of 2021.” Additional expenses include having to cut back on their work schedule due to caregiving duties or financing home modifications. 

For families who choose to hire outside caregivers, the cost of in-home care can be even higher. Also consider assisted living communities provide services such as help with the ADLs (activities of daily living), medication management, meal services and wellness programs and activities.

Moreover it is important to take into account the many intangibles senior living communities provide such as socialization and piece-of-mind knowing someone is around if your loved one needs help. Even for parents who initially resisted the idea of assisted living, A Place for Mom says many family members report the parent or relative quickly grew to love their new community.

We would like to introduce the newest retirement home Portland offers, the MorningStar at Laurelhurst assisted living and memory care community. Our home is scheduled to open in December 2022 and has 83 assisted living suites and another 32 memory care suites for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. We are located in the historic Laurelhurst District,  and near to the Portland Medical Center, shopping centers and nature areas. Please visit our website for more information and to reserve your select suite today. 

Source: 

aarp.org/research/topics/care/info-2016/family-caregivers-cost-survey.html?intcmp=AE-CAR-LEG-IL