What happens when a person ages?

An older individual may move many times once they feel as though they can no longer maintain the home they love, where they may have lived for half a century.

The first move may be to an assisted living facility. They believe they will receive the little bit of extra help they need here. In actuality, they will typically receive cooked meals – either 2 or 3 a day depending on the plan – and weekly light cleaning. Comforts of Home – Care often gets hired to provide additional help with laundry, companionship, transportation, or bill-paying, for example.

If this person experiences cognitive decline, they will soon be unable to manage in assisted living. They will need to move to supportive housing. Here the unit is locked and limited to 12 individuals per area. Comforts of Home – Care often gets hired for companionship, outings, and feeding for people in supportive housing.

The next move will be to a personal care home. You may think all your needs are taken care of in a personal care home, but only your physical, basic, absolutely essential needs are cared for. Comforts of Home – Care has many, many clients in personal care homes. We often provide companionship, outings, and even personal care. Sometimes we provide personalized care here for 8 to 12 hours a day.

At any point in this continuum, an elderly person may get ill and be admitted to the hospital, often for weeks at a time.

From living in your own home for many, many years, to so many moves and disruptions all in the space of a few years! I don’t know about you, but I don’t even like the thought of moving! Even packing for a trip is a little unnerving!

Back up the bus!!! How about avoiding all these different transitions! In 2007, us kids moved my mom from her home into a condo. She was 77 years old; young enough to settle in and adjust. She made some friends and got to know the neighbourhood. The condo is easier to maintain than her house. There are no eaves troughs to clean (thank goodness for that! She would probably still be climbing the ladder and cleaning them herself!!).

Comforts of Home – Care provides monthly cleaning at this time. But if she ever needs anything more, care is easy to increase and put in place. Plus, she is used to the idea of “a stranger” (who is now a friend) coming to her home. My mom will be able to stay here for a very long time, and so far at 88 years old, she has only had to move once!