Let’s say your father is 76 years old and in decent health. Your mother is 72 years old, has diabetes, and suffers from slight memory loss. What happens when it is apparent that your dad is unable to continue taking care of your mom at home? If your parents are like many other couples, parting is the last thing they want to do.
They made a commitment to remain together, through the difficulties endured in marriage. They’re determined to see this through till the end. However, you know your dad could use a break and that your mom would benefit from quality care best suited to her needs. Here’s how you or your parents can remain as a couple in assisted living communities, and what to consider.
Yes, Couples Can Reside in the Same Retirement Community
Some assisted living communities place a strong emphasis on preserving couples’ unions as well as making sure that each partner’s individual needs are satisfied. These senior assisted living communities offer specific programs that enable couples to coexist while each obtains the level of care they require and only pays for the services they actually use.
For example, our retirement community enables couples to either choose a favorable floor plan and reside together in the same apartment, or be just a short distance away from one another, regardless of their personal care requirements. For instance, if they desire, your mother can reside in the memory care suite, while your dad can remain in the assisted living community. However, they may also choose to reside together in the same suite while still receiving targeted care for their healthcare needs.
The Decision Should Be Left to the Couple
You may conduct a lot of research into assisted living communities that welcome couples, but ultimately, it’s crucial that your parents take the lead in selecting the community and living arrangement that’s right for them.
Experts say that many well-intentioned adult children can overstep and undermine the decision-making abilities of their parents, who are capable of giving their input, evaluating their options, and choosing an environment that they jointly desire.
Hence, we recommend that you have in-depth conversations with your folks about their opinions and wishes rather than taking control of the process entirely.
No, You Will Not Have to Foot Double the Cost
Couples may mistakenly believe they will pay twice as much if they enroll in an assisted living community together, but this is a prevalent myth. Usually, the amount of care required has a bigger impact on the price of senior living than the resident density in the community.
Despite the fact that costs differ from community to community, many provide a fee-for-service model. This ensures that only the resident who requires greater levels of care is responsible for paying for such services; your monthly contribution already includes housing, amenities, and other residential services.
Feel free to request additional details or visit the location of the senior assisted living community closest to you for a tour if you’re interested in learning more about the arrangements we offer for couples.
