Staying Home vs. Assisted Living During COVID-19

As a Client Care Coordinator and a Caregiver for my own father, I have seen firsthand that the last few months have been very turbulent for our elderly population.  The challenges that our seniors are facing now in these unprecedented COVID-19 times are like nothing that they have ever experienced before.  You just want to make sure that you are taking all factors into consideration when making decisions on your loved one’s care.  Each individual has their own unique set of circumstances for making decisions that are appropriate for them.  There is no one size fits all solution.  Whether you decide to stay at an Assisted Living, or you prefer to stay home understand that you are making the best decisions to ensure the care of a loved one. 

Due to the fact that older adults are at higher risk for serious complications from COVID-19, there are important options to take into consideration when contemplating what is the best place for them to reside. There are pros and cons whether you are deciding on staying at home or going to an assisted living.  Remaining at home can be beneficial because it limits your exposure to people coming in from the outside. The unfortunate thing about this is that you may not get the care that you would in an assisted living.  In an assisted living, while you will get getting your meals cooked for you and have access to nurses and health care providers you won’t be able to have visitors come in from the outside for the safety of the residents.  This has caused a lot of families to only have visits through the window or a scheduled 30-minute visits as long as it is outside.  The visitation restrictions have been extremely difficult for some families.  It has caused the children and families to feel guilty while the elderly loved ones have been left feeling extremely isolated and lonely.  Currently, the ban on visitors on some of these facilities is slowly getting lifted. This unfortunately could change at any time if there is a spike in COVID-19 in the near future. 

No matter what you choose to do please know that there are experienced attorneys at NJ Elder Law Center at Goldberg Law Group that can help navigate your loved one and choose a Long-Term Care Plan that fits their needs.  In addition, our attorneys can help with Estate Planning, Medicaid applications and guardianships.  Contact us for a free consultation.  We will help you circumnavigate the issues facing your loved one during these uncertain times and know that you are not alone.