When is it time to move out of home?

If you're thinking that you should probably move mom or dad out of home and into a care facility, that time has likely already arrived.

Most kūpuna want to "age in place" (remain at home) for as long as possible, and they should for several reasons. Moving to a senior community or care facility early, just for convenience, social connection, and/or personal preference, requires careful budget planning to avoid prematurely depleting assets. Many families forget that as the health condition of their kupuna worsens, there are fewer available care options and the remaining ones become increasingly more expensive.

But many kūpuna also stay at home for too long. Boredom, lack of stimulation, lack of exercise, not recognizing signs of cognitive decline, reversed day/night wake windows, inconsistent daily routines, dehydration, malnutrition, depression, falling, illness, injury, and even premature death are all common results when care at home is inadequate (and very possibly, family burnout).

It's a balancing act for families to manage the care needs of their kupuna vs finances, and to get the timing right for when to seek care. But it may be even more expensive in the long run if a kupuna suffers an injury with lasting damage. If there are any "near misses" or other incidents, then it is already time to seek care for your kupuna.

“Seeking care” does not mean automatically moving into facility, especially when a kupuna refuses to leave home. There are very good intermediate options to extend time at home for kūpuna, and provide valuable respite to their family members.

Home Care is usually the first service that comes to mind, and it can be very cost-effective for short periods. But Adult Day Care is also an excellent and cost-effective option that can provide monitoring, stimulation, socialization, and light caregiving to kūpuna. Adult Day Care is also an excellent way to get kūpuna used to leaving the house and eventually accept moving out of home and into a facility if or when the timing is right.

To learn more about Home Care, Adult Day Care and and strategies to provide care for a kupuna, visit our knowledge base.