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Family Matters: The positive impact of senior living on families

Senior living communities’ influence extend far beyond 65+ apartments and monthly rent payments. From peace of mind to reduced levels of stress and improved quality of life, here are some ways senior living communities impact residents and their families:

1. Quality vs. Quantity

As many caregivers can attest, a large portion of their daily schedule revolves around caregiving, but very little of their daily routine is dedicated to quality time spent together with their aging loved one. Instead, most caregivers’ calendars are packed with rides to doctors’ appointments, trips to the pharmacy, and time spent trying to juggle the responsibilities of work and family while keeping their loved one healthy and safe. As a result, nearly 80% of caregivers report having strained relationships with their loved ones, and many caregivers report high levels of stress, depression and other detriments to their emotional health.

Compare those statistics with those of families who chose senior living. During a recent study, 73% of families agreed that quality of life had improved, for them and their aging loved one, after making the move to Assisted Living or Memory Care. Likewise, 50% noticed a positive change in their relationship with their senior loved one. Some factors they took into consideration were less overall stress and more quality time spent together.

In short, senior living doesn’t just impact the health, happiness, and overall longevity of residents – it can improve the lives of their family members too.

2. The Price is Right

Balancing financial obligations is a major concern for a lot of families with aging loved ones. Although the cost of Assisted Living can be daunting, caregivers are urged to consider the cost of at-home care, which is also on the rise. For example, hiring an at-home caregiver for six hours a day, five days a week, costs an average of $2,730 a month, or $32,760 a year.  With prices that high it’s no surprise that a lot of family members choose to leave their job or work part time, resulting in a loss of annual income.

It’s easy to get sticker shock from senior living prices at first glance. But, after considering that meals, transportation, home maintenance, and a lot of extras like laundry services are included with care, there are some strong arguments for senior living. Plus, since Assisted Living and Memory Support care plans are a fixed rate, families can budget wisely and avoid unexpected costs.

So, before any family makes the decision for their loved one to move to senior living or stay in their own home, they should shift their focus away from cost, and toward value.

3. Play It Safe

If you love or care for a senior, you know that it’s easy to feel guilty for not being by their side 24 hours a day. In fact, 22% of caregiving sons and daughters report feelings of guilt multiple times a day.  Senior living’s around-the-clock care may be the peace of mind that your family needs. After all, knowing that your mom isn’t eating cereal for dinner every night because it’s too hard to cook for one, or that if your dad falls someone will be there to help him back up, are invaluable.  

For more information on the impact of senior living, visit www.milestoneretirement.com/resources.