Moving out of your house and into a senior care facility or similar environment

[Ken Anderson]

For those of you who have already made the decision to leave your home and move into a senior care facility, whatever level of care they may offer, or those who are now considering it, what thoughts were going through your head at the time? Clearly, you concluded it was for the best, and I'm not arguing against that, nor do you have to defend it, but there also had to be some sadness or regret involved in the move. For those of us who aren't there yet, what was the experience like? What things did you consider, and why did you come to the decision you finally made?

 

[Marie Miller]

Good topic Ken! It can happen so fast.
First, please have your affairs in pristine order. A will from 1970 may not satisfy needs and laws in 2026. Be honest zu out your wants and needs and your financial situation. Learn about your target state’s laws. Keep up with them.
Tour some facilities, compare them. I love spreadsheets. Be honest with yourself. I would wither in a 55+ community with committees and planned activities. It works for others.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

For those of you who have already made the decision to leave your home and move into a senior care facility, whatever level of care they may offer, or those who are now considering it, what thoughts were going through your head at the time? Clearly, you concluded it was for the best, and I'm not arguing against that, nor do you have to defend it, but there also had to be some sadness or regret involved in the move. For those of us who aren't there yet, what was the experience like? What things did you consider, and why did you come to the decision you finally made?

I'm not "there" yet, either. But if something were to happen to my husband and I'm left alone, I will choose an assisted living apartment over imposing on my children. I realize that I am not able to care for this house and property by myself, so I would have to pay for all kinds of upkeep services in order to stay here while rattling around in a 5 bedroom house alone.

I have a good friend who went into an assisted living apartment due to Parkinson's and she is happy there. It's her own place but she has access to help when needed. (Meals, medication, bathing, transportation, etc... as much or as little as she needs).

 

[Hoot Crawford]

As I said in another post, I hope to be in an "independent living" facility, which is a step below "assisted living". There are no health related services in independent living. Small apartment, 3 meals a day, weekly unit cleaning and "flat" laundry (bed linens and bath towels, etc), and some transportation services. I can keep my car if I wish, which I probably will for a while. I suppose my motivation is also my declining health, and the need to make things easy for my grandson when I pass. All the stuff in the unit can be either donated or trashed, no real property to deal with, no probate.

At this point I'm still able to get around on my own, take care of my own financial affairs, drive when needed, and I don't need any day to day medical assistance. My lady friend is at the other end of the spectrum - she will most likely need more medical care than is available for assisted living, and will spend the rest of her life in a skilled nursing home. God willing, I will be able to give her some level of support for as long as I can.

There are a lot of "moving parts" to the decision making process, and one major health event can change everything overnight.