Prepping Your Home for an Elderly Houseguest
Having an elderly relative move in can either be complicated and stressful or, with the right preparation, exciting and gratifying. The outcome, more often than not, depends upon your preparation - here are some tips from Luxury & Beach Realty to ensure this important life decision goes the right way.
Practicality
Beyond any personal and financial practicalities, you also need to consider the logistics of having a loved one move in. Even if you can afford it, this person still needs to be able to move around the house easily, reach basic amenities and live somewhat self-sufficiently. To cover any handicaps, it’s first worth looking into home remodeling - for example, kitchen and bath modifications. These can include grab bars, ramps, new floors, or smart home technology.
If your loved one is already receiving treatment, you also need to think about whether this can continue as before. Are you located near adequate medical care? Can you easily reach a hospital if he/she has an emergency? These considerations, whilst unhappy to think about, are important and can save you a lot of stress, hassle, and heartbreak in the future. Tap into the knowledge of a seasoned real estate pro like Jeffrey Nitz who is intimately familiar with the area.
Emotionality
Even if it can be done, should it be? There are many considerations from many different people to be taken into account before you make any clear-cut decisions. A move-in can drastically affect the lifestyles of you and your family, sometimes even for the better. To assess this, AgingCare.com explains you’ll need to consider past and future relationships and the dynamics as they exist between you, partners, children, or neighbors. Does the person themselves even want to move from where they are?
On top of this, you have the question of life quality. Extracting someone from a place they know and love can sometimes create an absence of familiarity, comfort, and enjoyment. You’ll want to be certain that this person’s new home is going to provide enough stimulation and happiness to be worth the effort. The best way to gauge this is to speak clearly and openly with the individual in question and be certain they’re answering with honesty.
Finances
Sometimes, the decision to have a loved one move in is borne out of financial requirements. But, the truth is, there are a host of costs that come from this decision, too. Even the act of moving a person and their possessions across the country is expensive (a full-service moving company these days comes to roughly $4,000-9000 according to Moving.com). How self-sufficient is your loved one? How much will they impact personal expenses, such as food, bills, electricity, etc.? All of these things are worth time and planning.
On the plus side, by having a relative move in, you may be eligible for certain tax benefits. Live-in-parents can usually be claimed as tax dependents and, in some circumstances, you may be entitled to dependent care credit. It may also be worth purchasing life insurance on behalf of the person, as this may come to offset the costs of care. Similarly, if you’re doing improvements to your home to accommodate your new resident, you may also want to look into reassessing your home warranty insurance.
Long Term Care
If it turns out that your elderly loved one requires more care than you can provide, there are other options available. It’s a tough situation and never easy for anyone, but with plenty of skilled nursing home facilities in the Tampa area, there are plenty of places where your loved one can be treated with compassion and dignity.
Ultimately, taking a loved one in can be hugely gratifying for both you, the family, and the person in question. That said, you’ll need to prepare thoroughly if you don’t want to get caught out by hidden costs, impracticalities, or personal disagreements. And even if your loved one ends up needing more care than you can provide, the compassion you show them makes all the difference in the world.
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