Housing Questions

1. FAQ: What Is a Functional Assessment?

   In medicine and gerontology, a functional assessment is an evaluation of a person's ability to manage tasks and activities that are usually necessary in daily life. These tasks include the activities of daily living (ADLs), which refer to basic self-care such as dressing and getting around the house...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. What's the difference between a senior real estate specialist and a garden-variety real estate agent?

   The most important distinction is that senior real estate specialists and senior-specialized agents (the terms are used interchangeably) focus on the niche market of seniors selling their homes. Because of this, they may be better at handling the emotional tumult that often surrounds the sale of an older person's home...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

3. How do I get the deed to my brother's property in my name without an attorney?

   If you and your brother were joint owners on the title to the property, then it should be fairly easy to get it into your name alone—without going through the time and expense of hiring a lawyer.
   1 Expert Answer

4. My ill mother refuses to live with us, what can be done?

   You obviously care about your mom. It also sounds like you have probably tried a variety of approaches to address these problems, yet your tactics are just not working. It's time to try something new. If the issues are not life threatening, don't raise them for a while. and once you do, approach them from a new angle...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

5. Where can my mother with Alzheimer's find life time care?

   I’m sorry to hear that your mom has Alzheimer’s disease and is also facing a financial challenge.
   1 Expert Answer

6. Should I Mom remain home with a caregiver, or move to a newer place with a caregiver?

   It sounds like your mother has a mild dementia. If so, she will feel safer in her familiar environment, no matter its condition. It is then up to you to determine whether she lives in a safe place or not. If she has any dementia, it is progressive, and she will need more care as time goes on.
   1 Expert Answer

7. Can My Siblings and I Move a Parent With Alzheimer's out of a Nursing Home Over a Stepparent's Objections?

   It depends. There's a fairly straightforward legal answer if your parent completed a power of attorney for healthcare while he or she still had the mental capacity to do so. In that case, if an agent or proxy was named to direct the care, then that person is authorized to make those decisions -- including...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

8. My elderly mother has anxiety disorder and is fine when feeling well but uncontrollable when ill. Is it time for assisted living?

   Assisted living is restricted to those who can care for themselves but require help with meals, personal hygiene, housekeeping and some routine items such as medications. If your mother's periodic illness requires more care than this, consider other options such as an in home health care agency during those times when additional support is necessary...
   1 Expert Answer

9. How do I convince my mother to move to be closer even though she's overwhelmed with the thought of moving all of her stuff?

   Sometimes the best way to get a parent to move is to say "Let's move what you need right away, close up the house, and come back in a month or two to get everything else."
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

10. When is the best time to sell a parent's home when they live in an assisted living facility and won't be returning?

    If your mother transferred her home to you and your sister in 2002 and she's no longer able to live in the home and isn't likely to return to it in the future, the decision whether to sell the home becomes a business decision for you and your sister.
    1 Expert Answer

11. What are my options if I need to move but all the nursing homes in the new state have waiting lists?

    You obviously care a great deal for your mother and have remained on top of the situation. Based on your comments, it does not sound as though your mother requires 24-hour care and she may be just as comfortable in an Assisted Living or Continuing Care Community or even at home with frequent professional support...
    1 Expert Answer

12. Can Mom be "kicked out" of assisted living?

    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

13. Can nursing homes reject a patient with behavioral issues?

    You ask about nursing home rejections due to behavior, specifically rage. The question could also apply to other difficult behaviors. The short answer is, yes nursing homes do have the right to reject a person whom they believe will not be a fit for their facility...
    1 Expert Answer

14. I think she needs more care, they say no. Help?

    What an ordeal! I'm so sorry that you and your mother are going through this and it does sound like "home" was the wrong discharge plan. There are a few ways to go about getting some help and I would suggest that you start down both paths simultaneously to see which one brings help first.
    1 Expert Answer

15. What are the obligations of an assisted living facility if my mother was injured there?

    Your question about your mom's assisted living injury raises the issue of whether the facility is able to protect its residents. Legally, assisted living facilities are in a somewhat problematic position. They fill the gap between being at home, which is usually unsafe, and being in a nursing home,...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

16. Should I donate my father's belongings if there's no hope for a recovery back to independent living?

    You are coping with a difficult turn of events and some tough decisions and you are not alone. Falls are the number one cause of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in older adults. Before making decisions about your father’s personal property, be sure you fully understand his prognosis. Head injuries can n be classified as mild, moderate, or severe...
    1 Expert Answer

17. Is there a law that limits how many residents a Certified Nurse Assistant can care for?

    I do not know of a law that specifically limits the number of residents a CNA can have at any one time. I don't claim expertise on that point. The law does give some guidance on how many hours per day of nursing care a nursing home resident must receive...
    1 Expert Answer, 5 Community Answers

18. How can I get the assisted living facility to do a dementia evaluation on my mother?

    From your description your mother’s assisted living facility has already made their determination. To get an objective dementia evaluation you’ll have to take your mom to a geriatrician or preferably a geriatric psychiatrist. Universities typically have departments that deal with geriatric medicine.ine...
    1 Expert Answer

19. How do I deal with my mom's requests to visit her in assisted living every day?

    Ah! The GUILT card! Here you are doing everything you can to assist your mother, and she lays a guilt trip on you - and you buy it! Shame on both of you!
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

20. My mom is upset by another assisted living resident, how can I help my mom cope?

    I assume that there are only 6 people total in the assisted living because the obvious answer would be to move your mother to a different table. If there are only 6 residents and they all sit at the same table for meals, could your mother sit next to Mary...
    1 Expert Answer