The Ultimate Guide To Senior & Elder Care Planning

By Stefanie Shumaker, M.Div.

You may want to re-think plans for older adults during a health crisis, such as COVID-19. In recent months, the whole of society has been confronted with the coronavirus pandemic. It is a serious challenge that has caused each of us to think differently about our personal lives, vocational aspirations, the future of our children and how best to care for our elderly loved ones.

As a hospice chaplain, I have worked closely with the COVID-19 changes and restrictions, and a new way of operating that has been embraced by assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care centers. I have spent hours on the phone with loved ones of patients, creating space for them to vent their frustrations and express their feelings over being restricted from visiting their elderly loved one. I have also watched some families move mom or grandpa out of the care center into one of their homes.

Moving your elderly loved one into a care center, or keeping him or her there, might be the best option for your situation. However, if you would like consider a long-term plan that allows your loved one to stay in his or her home longer, or move into a family member’s home, there are a host of resources that can help you do so successfully. Some programs to consider are Meals on Wheels, Aging Services resources in your specific county, adult daycare centers, senior activity centers, and private pay or agency caregivers. You could speak with a doctor to determine whether or not your person qualifies for home health or hospice care. Also, it may be useful to develop a calendar to keep track of family members, neighbors or church friends willing to visit and check on your loved one throughout the day to ensure his/her needs are being met and he is thriving at home.

These are some questions you could google search for your area:

1. Aging services __________ county. If you are able to speak with a representative from this department in your county, you may receive guidance toward aging resources and how to sign up for things such as Meals on Wheels or Adult Daycare.

2. Senior activity center in __________ county. A senior care center is a great place for your aging loved one to spend time while you are running errands or working. You will need to see if your county is still operating their senior care center during COVID-19, and whether or not this is a free service.

3. Private caregivers for elderly or aging persons. Private pay caregivers can often assist with meals, cleaning, personal or toilet hygiene, ambulation, etc. You may choose to find and hire someone on your