Is it safe for your loved one to live at home? Should he or she move in with you? Into a long-term care facility? Here’s a look at some of the issues involved in making housing decisions.

Sometimes your loved one’s needs make it difficult to decide where he or she should live. If you are having trouble deciding whether your loved one should come to live with you or move into another type of living facility, carefully consider what type of living arrangement best meets his or her medical and other care needs.

In choosing a living environment, ask yourself

• Am I willing to modify my house to meet my loved one’s needs?
• Are my other family members willing to make accommodations for my loved one?
• Will the medical services that my loved one requires be available if he or she comes to live with me?
• Do I have an open and honest relationship with my loved one that would allow us to communicate our needs to each other if we were living together?
• Do I have the time to devote to my loved one if he or she comes to live with me?
• Will I still have enough time if my loved one needs more of my time than I expect, or if his or her condition gets worse and requires more care?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, asking your loved one to move in with you may not be the best solution.

Instead, you may want to consider helping your loved one to find a suitable care facility. Possible options include:

• Continuing Care Retirement Communities: facilities designed to meet your loved one’s changing health care needs, including total independence, assistance with housekeeping, meal services, medial assistance, transportation, and home health care
• Assisted Living: individual apartments with community services, including central dining rooms, 24-hour security, transportation, assistance with daily living (bathing, housekeeping, meals)
• Board and Care Homes: facilities offering room, meals, laundry, cleaning, 24-hour supervision, and medical care
• Nursing Facilities: residences offering 24-hour supervision, shared rooms, meals, therapy, medication supervision, and group or individual social and recreational activities

Regardless of the living arrangements you and your loved one choose, it is important that he or she feels safe and comfortable in the new living area and that you, as the caregiver, are able to provide support for your loved one without becoming overwhelmed yourself.

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