Ideally, couples can continue living in the same home throughout their lives together, providing emotional and physical support to one another. What happens, though, if one partner needs a higher level of care as the couple ages?
For some couples, living apart is unimaginable. Yet the time may come when one spouse simply can’t provide the level of care the other one needs. These circumstances can take an emotional and physical toll on both partners, and the relationship can suffer as a result.
Fortunately, there are options that make it possible for couples to stay together even when their care needs diverge — for example, assisted living for couples with different needs.
Every couple’s situation is unique, so it’s important to discuss the available options to see which may be the best choice based on their preferences, finances, health outlook and other factors that might sway their decision. It may be helpful to have other family members join the discussion.
Hire In-Home Care
If one spouse doesn’t require any support and the other needs relatively minimal assistance, whether it’s with a chronic health condition or with routine tasks such as bathing, hiring someone to provide care in the home may be sufficient.
This allows both spouses to stay in their home, while ensuring the one who requires care receives the support he or she needs. It also alleviates stress for the other spouse and lowers the risk of a possible injury for both.
A Potential Downside
In-home care can be expensive, depending on the type of care provided and what is needed. The national median cost of in-home care is $30 per hour, according to A Place for Mom, but it varies greatly from state to state and even within the same city.
If medical care is required, the cost is likely to be substantially higher.
Sometimes couples rely on in-home care as a temporary solution until they can make different long-term arrangements. For those who can afford it, hiring a professional caregiver may be the preferred choice until the health of one or both spouses deteriorates and in-home care is no longer feasible.
Move to Assisted Living
For some couples, assisted living is a viable alternative even when one spouse needs assisted living and the other does not.
Can couples live together in assisted living? It depends on the community. Some allow spouses who don’t need any assistance to live with their partner who receives supportive care. Such communities may offer lower fees for the spouse who doesn’t require any additional services.
In a community that allows both spouses to share the same assisted living residence — even if one does not need assistance — both partners benefit from the available amenities and services. This typically includes housekeeping and home maintenance, prepared meals, scheduled transportation and social activities.
Move to a Senior Living Community With Multiple Care Levels
This may be the right choice for many couples with different care needs. Maybe one partner is healthy and can reside in the community’s independent living area, while the other partner receives the support available in the assisted living area. Or, maybe one spouse needs memory care.
In a community that offers varying levels of care, like we do at Highpoint at Stonecrest, couples can transition seamlessly from one level to another, receiving the support they need so that both spouses enjoy their best quality of life.
Even if both partners aren’t able to live in the same residence, they’re close enough to share meals, enjoy the same activities and spend much of their time together. There’s no need for one spouse to get in the car and drive to see the other one. In some communities, they may be just down the hall or a short elevator ride away from each other.
Transitioning to Memory Care Is Easier
For most couples dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, the time will come when a decision must be made about where the spouse with dementia will receive the level of support he or she needs.
Moving a spouse to memory care can be challenging emotionally and physically, even when it’s clearly the right decision for everyone involved. For couples already in a senior living community, it’s a smoother transition because they both can remain in the community that’s familiar to them and see each other throughout the day.
Plus, while the spouse with dementia receives specialized care and round-the-clock supervision, the other spouse has a built-in support system right there in the community.
How Can We Make Life Better for You and Your Spouse?
Highpoint at Stonecrest offers options to help senior couples stay together throughout their retirement years, from independent living to assisted living and memory care.
As a rental senior living community, we are able to welcome new residents directly into assisted living and memory care. Not all retirement communities offer a rental option, and many require new residents to qualify for independent living when they initially move into the community.
We encourage couples to join us before either spouse needs a higher level care, so both can take full advantage of our ample amenities and our abundance of fun-filled activities.
We’d love to share more about our community with you. Call us at 352-549-9210 or fill out our short contact form to arrange a visit.
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