When Senior Spouses Need Different Levels of Care

For many seniors today, there comes a time when they can no longer safely and comfortably live in their own home on their own. Typically, this means it is time to discuss assisted living and home care options. This can be both a challenging and enlightening time for both seniors and their families, but when a senior spouse needs a different type of care than their spouse, the transition to assisted living can seem even more complex.

The good news is there are many facilities that specialize in offering varying levels of assisted living for spouses. In fact, many senior couples will experience different health challenges or experience the effects of aging at different times and speeds, and in most situations, one spouse will need professional care much sooner than their significant other.

As the family member or loved one of these two seniors, it is important to understand your options and the factors involved with this type of care, so you can make the best decision possible both for both seniors in your life. One of the best things that you can do in order to prepare for this type of transition is to be as proactive as possible. Planning ahead can only help you in the long run, so if possible encourage the senior couple in your life to start looking at assisted living facilities early.

When couples are able to view different facilities together and on their own accord, it can make them feel far more comfortable with the idea of transitioning to some type of care. They can keep this facility on the back-burner until they need to make a permanent move, but it is still important to make sure they have viewed some options. This gives seniors more control with the decision-making process and it can help them feel less defensive about moving to a nursing home or assisted living apartment.

This also gives many seniors the opportunity to find the right fit and to find somewhere that they can both live comfortably and where they can receive different levels of care based on their needs. While it would be ideal if all seniors took this type of proactive approach, unfortunately, it does not always work out this easily. Many times, a crisis happens that causes one party to quickly need care and to transition into a new living situation.

When this happens, there are a few things that all parties should remember. The first, is that the couple needs to accept that they may not live in as close of quarters as they want. There are many assisted living facilities, that are designed with single occupant rooms in mind instead of double occupant rooms. While both parties may be able to live in the same place, they may not be able to live in the same room or apartment. Furthermore, it may ultimately be best for one spouse to continue living at home while the other transitions to living in a care facility without them. This can be a very emotional and difficult decision to make, but it is important to realize that when there is a crisis that prompts the need for care, it may be the only or the best option.

If you are lucky and are able to plan ahead you may find a facility that offers assisted living for husband and wife duos. When considering this type of living situation, it is important to remember each individual's needs. When seniors reach this point, they may no longer not only have different health and care needs, but different social needs as well. While it can be easy to focus on the care needs of the senior that needs the most assistance, it is crucial that you don't forget about the needs of their spouse in the process.

Once you have found a place that offers assisted living for husband and wife situations, and one that can provide the spouse that needs the most care with the assistance they need, you need to make certain that the other party will have their needs fulfilled as well. Most seniors still need to have activities, access to exercise, social outings and the ability to entertain guests as well as the opportunity to run errands and come and go as they please. Just because one senior needs more assistance, it doesn't mean you should limit the life and the independence of their spouse in the process.

Consideration needs to be given to both parties involved. This is one of the best ways to ensure an easy transition and to make sure that both individuals are going to be happy and healthy in their new homes.

Figuring out assisted living for spouses can be a challenge, and while it may not always result in the most ideal situation for your senior loved ones, many times there are things you can do to make sure both involved are able to safely and comfortably transition to this new phase of life.