Questions to Ask Your Mother When Planning Senior Care
Are you searching for a scenic and relaxing community for your mother to call home in her senior years? Look no further than Burlington, Wisconsin, boasting 28 parks offering unlimited ways to spend a lazy weekend hiking, exploring nature, or simply going for a family picnic.
However, before you start thinking about activities, it's time to consider the practicalities of a move to senior care. Read on for a list of crucial questions to ask your mother to help choose the right senior living community.
What's Most Important to You Now That You Are Retired?
Everyone has different ideas about how they want to spend retirement. Ask your mother what her ideal lifestyle is, and her answer will give you a better picture of the sort of care and community that best aligns with her goals. Priorities might include:
- Access to the best healthcare
- Pursuing a passion or hobby
- Spending time with family
- Socializing with friends
- Staying fit
- Relaxing and living a stress-free lifestyle
It could be a combination of these things or something different. It might be that your mother hasn't given this much thought, which is a helpful question to get her thinking about what she wants from retirement.
How Are You Managing Your Daily Tasks?
You need to make an honest assessment of your mother's ongoing needs for eldercare planning. If you don't live with her, the best way to do this is to sit down and talk about how she is coping with everyday tasks and if she needs family caregiving support.
Here are some ideas for follow-up questions:
- Do you ever forget to take your medication?
- Do you need more help ordering and collecting your groceries?
- How long does it take to get dressed in the morning?
Senior-related health issues like mobility can have an impact on some of these tasks that we often take for granted. And if your mother has been struggling silently, you might not know about her care needs until you ask these sorts of questions.
What Worries You Most About The Future?
Assisted living conversations can open up a lot of issues and fears, and it's always best to get these out in the open.
Your mother might be concerned about her safety, for example, especially if she lives alone. It's also common for seniors living alone to experience low moods due to isolation, and that's one of the advantages of moving to a senior living community.
Some mothers might feel anxious about having to move into a care community as they get older, fearing they will lose their independence. If that's the answer you get, make sure you focus on communities like ours that offer a range of activities and amenities that allow residents to live life on their terms.
How Do You Feel About Community Living?
A senior care community is an obvious choice for some who are ready to embrace the social aspect of being with other seniors or who love the idea of having so many amenities under one roof. Other retirees, however, may not have given the subject much thought.
When speaking to your mother about care, it's good to get an idea of her expectations. She may even have some misconceptions, which you can address when visiting your shortlist of communities.
If your mother loves socializing, make sure you find a community that will offer lots of daytime and evening events. If she prefers quiet time in small groups, find a community that has beautiful communal areas where she can sit and talk to a friend or two.
Are There Health Concerns You Haven't Told Me About?
Many parents don't want to worry their adult children if they have health concerns, so don't assume you know everything about your mother's health conditions.
Ask the question, and suggest arranging a formal health assessment. This will allow a professional to check for common age-related conditions like memory loss, mobility issues, or chronic pain.
Details like this are crucial for ensuring your mother gets the best care and support that will put her well-being first and keep her safe. Plus, when you visit senior living communities, health conditions will help shape a proper care plan for your mother.
What Legal and Financial Arrangements Have You Made?
If you are the next of kin, you will need to know about legal and financial matters before making any senior care decisions. If your mother hasn't yet made arrangements, now is probably a good time to start the process. You need to ensure you have paperwork and decisions on aspects of care and senior life, such as:
- A will
- Power of attorney
- Advance healthcare directive
- Pensions and savings
- Property
Make sure you help your mother organize this paperwork. Keep a digital file and a hard copy in a safe, secure location. Getting all this ready now can save you the hassle and stress later on.
What's Most Important About Your Retirement Location?
Beyond any community is a city or town that's ready to explore. It makes retirement life more varied and interesting. Speak to your mother about some of the amenities and attractions she hopes to have nearby, as this will be a factor in your community choice.
That might include:
- Top-rated restaurants
- Family attractions for the grandchildren
- Parks and nature areas
- Transport links for long-distance family members
- Cultural attractions like museums and theaters
- High-quality healthcare
Our community, Arbor View, is located on the edge of Bohners Lake, Burlington. It's picturesque and has a quiet, small-town feel to it, offering retirees a tranquil, relaxing lifestyle, but only 6 minutes away from busier Burlington.
Questions to Ask Your Mother About Senior Care
Note down these questions to ask your mother, and make sure you schedule a quiet and relaxed time to have the conversation. Talking to aging parents is not always easy, but it's the best way to ensure your loved one gets the right support.
Arbor View is a stand-out senior living community that could be the ideal choice for your aging parent.
With 24/7 support, trained teams, and a warm, family-like community, it will offer you peace of mind that your mother is getting the best of care. Why not book a tour today to discover our community for yourself?