Housing Options

Caregiving from a distance? Plan ahead

By: Christopher J. Gearon
Caregiving from a distance? Plan ahead

Visiting her mother a little more than a year ago, Ann Hofkin confronted a harsh reality: The 84-year-old was slipping. Checks weren’t cashed, the cat’s litter box was dirty, and there wasn’t much food in the refrigerator. The usually tidy home was in disarray. Hofkin’s mother also seemed depressed. She had little interest in eating. “I was concerned that she was taking very poor care of herself,” Hofkin, 65, said.

Cottages bring caregiving to the backyard

By: Anne Ball
Cottages bring caregiving to the backyard

Virginia minister Ken Dupin heard the worries over and over again from parishioners. There were older church members wondering how they could remain independent when their daily living needs increased with age, and younger members concerned about frail loved ones living on their own. So he envisioned a high-tech, fully-furnished diminutive modular home that could be placed in a caregiver’s backyard for an aging loved one. After years of planning and work with innovative thinkers at Virginia Tech University, the first 12 by 25-foot prefab MedCottage was unveiled in May.

Don’t let your clutter boss you around

By: Fiona Morrissey
Don’t let your clutter boss you around

Clutter has many faces. It’s not always something obvious like a box of antique bank statements, a pile of yellowing newspapers or a bucket with holes. It can be a warm winter coat, a great book or a crystal vase. Each may seem harmless in itself, but if your house is crammed with excess clothing, reading matter and bric-a-brac, then it’s clutter and you need to take action.

Eat well with grocery and meal delivery

By: Phyllis Courlander and Barbara Ruben
Eat well with grocery and meal delivery

If you’ve just had surgery or have chronic health problems like arthritis, walking up and down the supermarket aisles can feel like running a marathon. Even with a motorized cart, lifting and toting the bags of groceries can be overwhelming, not to mention cooking the food once you have it home. Luckily, a variety of resources are available, from grocery delivery services, to meal delivery programs, to in-home meal chefs. Shop from home

Going to live with your kids? Be flexible

By: Kathryn A. Walson
Going to live with your kids? Be flexible

When Mike Repak’s father passed away, he and his wife considered moving his mother, Maria — then 88 and suffering from mild dementia — into an assisted-living facility near them. But instead, the couple decided they wanted Maria to live with them and their two teenagers. “It was going to be a big adjustment for her without Dad around,” said Repak, now 53. “We wanted her to feel like she was part of a family.”

How to evaluate a retirement community

By: Adele Winters
How to evaluate a retirement community

If you’re considering a move for yourself or a family member to an independent living retirement community, there are a number of criteria you should consider before making your final decision. Among the most basic things to consider is the quality of the staff, facility and programming. Concern for residents’ safety is especially important. Look for:

How to find and hire a home health aide

By:
How to find and hire a home health aide

When Richard Foye was looking for a home health aide to live with his 97-year-old mother, he found the search daunting. One applicant was bipolar and admitted that she didn’t always take her medication. Another was afraid to stay overnight alone with his mom. Finally, Foye found a caring and capable aide. But “it was a struggle,” he said.

Is it time to move? Things to think about

By: Lisa M. Petsche
Is it time to move? Things to think about

As people age, and especially if they have chronic health conditions, at some point they’re likely to find that their current home no longer suits their lifestyle or their needs. This article summarizes many of the reasons people have for moving, mentions some of the most common options, and offers tips for planning ahead. Reasons to consider moving

Mediators help families settle care disputes

By: Erin Peterson
Mediators help families settle care disputes

In 2007, John and Ginger Price knew that it was time to move John’s mother, Mayna, from an assisted-living facility in South Carolina to a nursing home near their home in Seven Hills, Ohio. John’s sister, who lived in South Carolina, could no longer shoulder the increasing caregiving responsibilities. But Mayna was having none of it. “She didn’t want to move,” said Ginger, 65. “If anything, she wanted us to move down to South Carolina.”

Remodel or renovate to stay in your home

By: Meg Handley
Remodel or renovate to stay in your home

This spring, when Travis Slocum and his partner contemplated selling their home in Washington, D.C., they had high hopes of upgrading to a larger place. After all, in recent months, nationwide news has underscored falling home prices and historically low mortgage rates, both boons for would-be home buyers. But Slocum found the selection disappointing. “We really didn’t find anything on the market that ‘wowed’ us,” he said. “[Some] might have had more space, but they weren’t as updated, or they were well out of our price range.”