For the “sandwich generation” (adults still working and caring for children and aging parents) the physical, financial and emotional challenges can be quite overwhelming. Even if the children have launched, the reality of an aging population that is living longer finds families who are still working toward their own retirement trying to take care of their parents.
For Norcross resident, Darden Cobb, he’d already faced the loss of his mother when his very active father’s own health required more care than he could provide at home. He’d watched his father spend countless hours visiting various facilities in search of the right match for his mom and wondered if there might be a better way. Hearing a commercial for “A Place for Mom,” Cobb called and spoke to a representative. He discussed his father’s physical and mental abilities and specific health needs.
“They helped us determine what level of care he really needed and what facilities could provide that level of care,” noted Cobb.
A Place for Mom is a free service to families that simplifies finding senior living and home care whether it is independent living, assisted living or memory care.
“Many adult caregivers have a very outdated idea of senior living as a nursing home they may have visited in their youth,” said Sue Johansen, Executive Vice President at A Place for Mom in a statement provided to the AJC. “Helping families understand how valuable and beneficial it is for a senior to be in a supportive and stimulating environment makes the decision easier for both the caregiver and the senior. It allows the senior to live their best life and the caregiver to reclaim their personal relationship with their parent – without the stress of caregiving.”
Not a nonprofit, www.aplaceformom.com is paid by a wide range of participating communities and providers nationwide. Similar programs include www.caring.com and www.agingcare.com.
There are also localized services available through Gwinnett’s Senior Services at www.tinyurl.com/GwinnettSeniors and Fulton Senior Services at www.tinyurl.com/FultonSeniorServices.
Cobb found it especially helpful that he was assigned a specific person to speak with, eliminating the need to start over each call explaining his father’s medical challenges.
“Over a period of several weeks, I probably talked to A Place for Mom three or four times, and I was able to talk to the same lady each time,” added Cobb. “She gave me her number which made it easier.”
“Our Senior Living Advisors serve as counselors to families throughout a complex process, providing them with the information, tools and options they need to make informed and confident senior care decisions for their loved ones,” added Johansen. “We take the time to better understand each family’s unique and specific needs and offer support every step of the way.”
Once his father’s needs were established, A Place for Mom provided Cobb with a list of places to visit. While they didn’t disparage any facility, they were able to tell him honestly which communities would not meet his father’s health and community requirements.
While Cobb was looking for care near his home in Norcross, A Place for Mom’s nationwide network allows families trying to find placement for their loved one in another city easier as well.
“I like working for A Place for Mom because it gives me the ability to help more families find the right care for their loved one,” said Alissa Crankshaw, Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom. “I’m able to take some of the pressure and anxiety off of the family, helping to guide them and understand all their options.”
At a time when emotions run high, services like A Place for Mom can offer advice and solutions to make the challenges of caregiving a little easier.
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