March 6, 2025
The aging process is a beautiful part of life. It also comes with challenges that sometimes mean that the seniors in our lives need long-term care for their overall health and wellness. Everyone’s experience with aging is different, but signs like missed medications, issues with balance or falling, or diminished physical or home hygiene can indicate that it may be time for you and your family to hire a caregiver.
However, inviting an at-home caregiver into your family member’s life isn’t the only serious consideration when developing a long-term care plan for your senior loved one. At Accessible, we understand how big of a decision this is for families and put together this 5-step guide to developing a long-term care plan for your senior family member.
5-Step Long-Term Care Plan
Developing a long-term care plan involves a lot of planning and can have many moving parts. Whether your family member is able to age in place in their home or needs to be taken care of in an assisted living facility, knowing which options are best for them can seem impossible. At Accessible, we help families build long-term care plans every day and have learned a lot along the way.
Our five-step guide will help you and your senior family member through the planning process. However, our biggest advice is to always remember to keep communication open, check in with each other frequently, and know that you’re not alone in this journey. We’re here to help.
Step 1: Start Where You Are
Every family is different. Whatever your unique situation, start with where your senior family is. Get to know their medical history and discover where they need the most help daily.
Step 2: Determine The Level of Care Needed
What level of care does your family member need? Are they able to safely move without falling? Can they get dressed or brush their teeth without help? Are they forgetting their medication? These questions might be tough to answer, but remember, a long-term care plan is a commitment to their wellness, and knowing what they need will ensure they are well taken care of during this time.
Step 3: Explore All Options & Their Costs
Not every long-term care facility or service is the same. There are numerous ways to create a plan that works for you and your family. Give every option a look and ask your senior family member for their honest opinion. Understanding what services your loved one needs can be challenging, but you’re never alone in this journey.
Step 4: Check in on Legal Affairs
It’s always important to take a moment to check in on estate planning. Make sure your senior has a living will, a power of attorney, and a healthcare proxy to protect their wishes in the future.
Step 5: The Transition
The most important thing to remember throughout the long-term care planning process is to prioritize your and your family member’s emotional and physical wellness. If they are moving into a care facility for more help, support them through the process of downsizing. This is a good time to remember to keep communication open, be flexible, and, most importantly, celebrate the wins!
Following these five steps will ensure that you and your loved one’s health and wellness is considered throughout the entire long-term care plan. While this can sometimes be a challenging time for seniors, having a comprehensive plan for their care will ensure that throughout the transition into long-term care, they feel empowered and cared for.
Quick Tips For Planning Long-Term Care
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when developing a long-term care plan.
- Know your role and your limitations. Be honest with yourself, your family member, and their care team with what you are comfortable and capable of doing. Long-term care is a commitment that involves open and honest communication.
- There are no bad questions! Building a long–term care plan is important work, and there is no such thing as a bad question about your senior loved one’s health and wellness. Ask as many questions as you need to determine the right long-term care solution for your senior loved one.
- Know the Difference between Assisted vs. Independent Living. The difference depends on the kind of support your loved one needs in everyday tasks. If they need care needs like assistance with grooming or have issues with mobility or cognitive problems, they need assisted living. Independent living communities generally only provide community and active living for seniors while also offering meals and cleaning and maintaining their living space.
Accessible’s Long-term Care Promise
No matter what shape your senior loved one’s personalized long-term care plan looks like, you can rest assured that you are not alone during this journey. At Accessible Home Health Care, we promise to care deeply about your senior family member. Their quality of life is important to us. Our certified medical and non-medical caregivers work their hardest every day to provide the best long-term in-home care.
To learn more about where Accessible Home Health Care fits in your loved one’s long-term care plan, contact us today.
