Should We Shelter Our Parents in Our Homes During COVID-19?

It is no wonder eldercare consulting and geriatric care management became a specialized field on its own. The decisions to be made in managing our parents’ care can be complex.
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COVID-19 adds a new dimension to our concerns. We are finding retirement communities are more likely to become hotspots. However, the amount of risk depends on the facility and the safety precautions they have put in place.

​Across the world, adult children are asking, “Is it better to leave my parent at a facility or move them home?” Eldercare Specialists can assess your situation from an independent, professional viewpoint, and help you reach the right decision—a decision that takes into account all of the stakeholders’ needs. We know there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

How to decide if you should shelter your parents at home
Our aging parents may resist moving after they have been settled in a community. After all, it has become their home where their friends are and they are adjusted to the routine. Here are questions to consider.
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Does it make sense to move my parents to my home?

• What are your parents’ wishes?
• Do you have adequate space with the ADA accommodations your parents need?
• Can you provide the level of care and social engagement your parents need?
• Do you have the support to arrange the move to your home and manage their care?
• What steps do you need to take to move your loved one home successfully?
• What services need to be brought into your home? For example, caregivers, home health, and medical equipment?
• How would these services in the home impact your family?
• If caregivers are needed, will you and your family be okay with the loss of privacy, having additional people in your home?
• Is this a good decision for everyone in the home, considering your family dynamics?
• Are your parents or your family going be at increased risk of getting the virus?
• Are there high quality resources available to manage care at home?

What is the financial impact?

• Will you have to continue paying facility fees? 
• How much will it cost to make the move?
• How much will it cost for service providers and medical equipment?
• How much will it cost for additional food?
• How will you finance these costs long-term, especially with care needs increasing with time?
• Will you have to pay additional fees to move your parents back to the facility or to another facility?

What services are used at the facility and how is the quality of care?

• Are your parents happy at the facility?
• Do your parents use medical management, onsite nursing, around-the-clock caregivers, health monitoring, or medication management?
• Do they get assistance with eating, walking, transferring, or bathing?
• Does the facility manage difficult behaviors related to dementia?
• Does the facility provide socially engaging activities even during quarantine periods?
• Does the facility have an alert set-up with safety plans in place to minimize risk of exposure?
• Will the facility take your parents back after “shelter in place”?
• Will your parents be willing to go back to the facility?

“What if” questions to answer before you bring your parents to your home

• How would you manage if you contracted COVID-19 yourself?
• What if a home care professional brought the virus into your home?
• What would you do if a caregiver was unable to report for duty for some reason?
• How would you make sure you have all the personal care, medical supplies, and food needed, if supplies become difficult to obtain?
• How would you keep your parents in touch with their friends, especially those at the facility?

Effective advice when you need us
We are here for you. If you need more advice, please call us. We have parents ourselves and we understand what you are going through. Eldercare Specialists can help you objectively assess your situation so you can make the best decision, develop a plan, and find the resources you need to ensure your parents have the best care—whether in your home or in a facility.