One of the most difficult turning points in your life is when you arrive at the realization that your own adult parents can no longer take care of themselves. The subconscious crutch you have depended upon is pulled unceremoniously away and you discover that you are now the one they look to for support.

Albeit many seniors have Social Security and some form of retirement income, it rarely covers the full cost of care and the burden falls upon the working adult to find ways of caring for their parents.

Mobility is probably the first major concern. Is the senior able to get around on their own and can they do light personal care and maintenance for themselves? If so, there are many retirement communities available that have a systematic plan in place to help seniors, as they become more and more dependent.

Examples are those facilities wherein your parents are given their own residential apartment and there is very little supervision or clinical help. A wide variety of activities are available and the surroundings are more conducive to standard living rather than that of an institution.

Your parents are allowed to come and go as they please and may even have their own transportation. Meals are prepared, as always, within their own home and there are no restrictions.

As one or the other becomes less able to independently care for himself or herself, management will relocate them to a section where light clinical assistance is provided, along with a check-in system in place so that the location of your parents is always known.

Progressive declination of autonomy may engender another move to moderate supervision and nursing care. While one spouse may not need such intensive looking after, rather than splitting up your parents, the facility simply moves them both to the new location.

These relocations progress to more intensive care as the couple requires more and more healthcare, either through physical support, or the constant supervision needed for those with Alzheimer’s. At this point, dependent upon the facility chosen, the couple may or may not be required to live separately, with one remaining in the independent care residence and the other transferred to that section offering more hands-on healthcare.

It is this type of situation that needs to be looked into very carefully if acceptance into the facility is contingent upon their having control of the parents’ income to cover monthly expenses and charges.

A decision to place one’s parents in such a facility is never easy and rare is the son or daughter who does not feel a sense of betrayal when doing so.

To everyone’s surprise and delight, it often happens that the parent(s) discover they rather like the new surroundings and find many new friends. With activities specifically chosen for their peer group, seniors are less hesitant to learn new things and revel in their accomplishments.

There are then those middle-aged adults who have enough physical room in their own homes to have their parent(s) move in with them. Initially, it works out very well and many hands make the work light and the joys multiplied.

Inevitably, there comes a time when more and more personal care is needed for the parent, but no one really wants them to go. This is when it is most important to review family needs, as well as your own, and how everyone can live the best life under the circumstances.

There are now many healthcare businesses specifically set up to come to your home and sit with an aging parent, in addition to giving required shots and prescription medicine. For a modest amount, they will do those things necessary to maintain a happy, healthy atmosphere, while you enjoy your own family and take care of your personal needs, as well.

The decision is never easy, but we are fortunate to live in an age when there are far more options available than those offered to working adults in the 60s and 70s.

Preparing for the inevitable changes in your parents’ lives as they grow more dependent upon you for their care should begin while everyone is still vital enough to discuss all options. Understanding the limitations of retirement funds and what is, in fact, available will take considerable time and energy.

Keeping everyone apprised of what you can do, what is available to you, and what to expect as time goes by will keep all generations happy.

For more information about onsite caring for the elderly in your home, Comfort Keepers is one of several agencies that have onsite personnel who come into your home to help you. You can check out their site at http://www.comfortkeepers.com