When your spouse has dementia or Alzheimer's disease, he or she may be unable to perform most daily tasks such as bathing or eating. Additionally, your spouse may also require almost constant monitoring. For most, this would signal that it's time to move your spouse into an assisted living facility for his or her safety.
However, this can be a difficult decision for many people. What if you don't want to be separated from your spouse? Thankfully, it's possible for married couples to move into an assisted living facility together, even if one partner requires absolutely no aid to perform daily tasks. Read on for three reasons why moving in with your spouse at an assisted living facility with memory care services could be the perfect choice for you.
1. You're Able to Easily Support Your Spouse Emotionally
When your spouse moves into an assisted living facility, you no longer have to be in the caregiver role. This can be a great relief, and it also helps to keep your spouse safer—the staff at the assisted living facility are trained to provide aid to your spouse. They can monitor your spouse at all times to prevent wandering, and are equipped to handle emergencies such as falls. Keeping your spouse safe is an important reason to move him or her to a memory care facility.
However, you still have an important role to play. While you may no longer be the primary caregiver for your spouse, you can act as his or her advocate as well as the secondary, emotional caregiver. When you and your spouse move to the facility together, you're in a more convenient location to provide continual support—you can easily visit him or her every day, even if you're living in separate areas within the facility.
2. You'll Have Expanded Social Opportunities With Other Couples in Your Situation
Moving into an assisted living facility provides social opportunities for you, as well. While most people who live in such facilities are single, there are numerous couples—moving into an assisted living facility together is becoming a more popular choice for seniors. You are likely to be living in close proximity with others who are in the same situation as you, which gives you ample opportunities for socialization. Assisted living facilities also offer numerous social events that you can take part in. You can easily benefit from living in your new home as much as your spouse does.
3. You'll Often Benefit Financially From the Move
Even if you own your home and aren't paying a mortgage, the upkeep, repair, and utility costs of home ownership are often substantial. Moving into an assisted living facility with your spouse gives you the chance to sell your home, which both gives you money for the sale and eliminates the cost of keeping it up. Additionally, most of the cost associated with assisted living facilities derives from the services they provide to their residents—if you're in good health and don't require assistance, you will often find that you can live with your spouse quite inexpensively. From a financial perspective, moving into the facility with your spouse may be the overall best course of action.
If your spouse requires memory care and you don't want to be separated from him or her, moving into an assisted living facility together is often the best choice. You're able to easily support your spouse emotionally while he or she is kept safe by memory care services.
Share5 August 2019
My husband and I recently moved his mother to an assisted living facility. My name is Audrey Martin, and I am going to share our experience with you. My mother-in-law is eighty-two years old. She has been living on her own for twelve years since her husband passed away. My husband, David, is her only child. That left us in charge of making this decision for her since she has declined to the point of not being able to make sound decisions on her own. I’m not going to tell you that it’s been easy, but I will say that it can be done. I hope that what I’m about to share proves to be helpful to you should the time come that you are the one moving a loved one to an assisted living facility. Thanks for stopping by!