After spending a majority of their lives
raising and taking care of our needs, the roles often reverse as parents and
other family members get older. When a parent reaches an older age, you have
the option to move them into your home or set them up through a low-income
independent living home.
The support of a low-income apartment unit
gives you a lot of opportunities to support family members while still
fostering their independence. Check out some of the ways you can support family
members who choose low-income housing for the next chapter of their life.
1. Alternative Support
Options
Instead of spending your own money on room and
board, support from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can
help take care of those costs for your parents. With the cost of monthly rent
covered, you have the opportunity to contribute financially in other ways. For
example, you can do weekly grocery trips and deliver some of their favorite
foods.
You could help pay for trips, vacations, or
day trip outings. For example, if a parent loves bingo, then you could pay for
a weekly bingo session. With housing taken care of, you can fill their life
with other forms of entertainment and keep them busy without all of the extra
costs.
2. Family Visits
When family members live under the same roof,
they may not appreciate each other on a daily basis. If a parent is housed in
their own independent living location, then you take special times for family
visits that focus purely on the family visit aspect rather than just living
everyday life.
You could schedule regular visits or stop by
at random times. The separation gives you time to live independent lives while
still cultivated family life when needed. Many independent living apartments
have features ideal for visitors. Apartments may feature patios or decks for
family members to hang out on. Community rooms offer chances for larger groups
to gather.
When you tour various locations, you can see
what areas make the best use for family visits.
3. Self-Sufficient
Features
A parent may seek out support in different
ways as they grow older, but a home can also feature many ways for a parent to
keep up with their own tasks. For example, a living area may include laundry
services so a parent could do their laundry. The apartment space and outdoor
areas feature a lot of room to decorate and brighten their living space.
This lifestyle will keep them active. The
housing often features other residents in the same situation. A parent could
make friends, expand their social circle, and have residents visit on a daily
basis.
4. Maintenance Workers
If a parent still owned their own house, then
a lot of their income may have gone to maintenance, repairs, and necessary
upgrades. An independent living apartment will include maintenance as part of
the rent. This means that you or the parent do not need to spend money on
repair services when maintenance workers are available as needed.
Stress levels will reduce when maintenance
workers are not needed and your parents can enjoy their homes without the
constant need to worry about repair projects or frustrating aspects of the
home. Many apartments will feature workers on-site or on-call so problems are
solved quickly.
Just like rent coverage, the money savings
allows you to support your parents in other ways. Spend money on furniture
instead of plumbing repairs. Provide new appliances instead of fixing leaky
faucets. The savings add up over time and give you the chance to support your
parents in multiple ways.
For more information on our independent living
properties, contact us at Robert Cottingham Property Management. We can help find your parent an ideal place
to stay and live out the rest of their lives.
