Category: Senior Living

Most adults over age 50 say they’re interested in “aging in place”—that is, safely growing older in the comfort of their own homes rather than in an assisted living facility. There are multiple benefits to aging in place: it is often more cost-effective, allows you to keep your long-time social connections, doctors, and other service providers, and provides more independence.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our lives like a runaway train, you probably worried about your aging parents living alone, wondering, “Are they healthy? Taking care of themselves? Eating enough? Taking their medication on schedule?” What about the guilt of not visiting them as often as you probably should?

Your aging parents are beginning to display some telltale signs that help at home is needed. Perhaps you’re finding expired food in the cabinets and fridge, burn marks on pots and pans that could indicate a dangerous cooking accident, lapses in memory and judgment. Yet when you suggest offering a helping hand, they balk at the idea. Why? And what can you do to help them accept the need for care?