Many of you out there are contacting me because you are facing changed financial circumstances due to parents losing money in retirement accounts. The plan to go into assistive housing or a private senior housing community may no longer be affordable for your family. The question becomes: can the rest of the family pitch in? Sometimes not. If so, I'd like to refer you to a resource.
You can search for subsidized housing for seniors. (You enter the State, county or city where you need housing, whether for yourself, a parent or loved one.) You'll get a list of units your parents can rent that are based on your parents' income . Check the requirements of each facility: for example, with some of them, if your parent(s) currently own a home they need to sell , they can move into certain units , sell their home and their rent is determined accordingly. They do not, however, need to own a home by any means to get into these units! This housing can keep loved ones near you in a way that is affordable and safe and make the transition easier for everyone.
Although this arrangement does not offer the same services as assisted living, it may be a housing alternative that should be checked out by a family. There are many rules and guidelines that determine the rental cost for each resident, but the good news is that as income diminishes and medical costs rise, the rent may be adjusted.
You can also check for information with your county department of the aging and social services to see what type of housing would be most suitable. If you are a senior on your own and need information, do not be afraid to call and ask questions. You can find the information you need in one phone call that may take you months to find by yourself, or, worse yet, lose financial ground while delaying action. As difficult as change may be, there are advantages to facing a situation realistically and taking timely action.
[This is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as professional advice.]
6 comments:
Would you consider mentioning my newly-published memoir on your blog? I would be happy to exchange blog feeds as well.
Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio was recently released by The University of Iowa Press.
The memoir is a history -- an American tale -- of my fifty year wheelchair journey after being struck by both bulbar and lumbar poliomyelitis after a vaccine accident in 1959. The Press says Seven Wheelchairs gives "readers the unromantic truth about life in a wheelchair, he escapes stereotypes about people with disabilities and moves toward a place where every individual is irreplaceable."
Other reviewers have called Seven Wheelchairs "sardonic and blunt," "a compelling account," and "powerful and poetic."
I hope you can mention Seven Wheelchairs on your blog. We all live different disability stories, I know, but perhaps if you find the memoir worthwhile, you might want to recommend the book to others who are curious about what polio or disability in general.
Of course, the book is also available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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Gary Presley www.garypresley.com
SEVEN WHEELCHAIRS: A Life beyond Polio
Fall 2008 University of Iowa Press
Thank you Gary for stopping by with your book information. I've placed a post up on my blog about your book!
Thank you. This publicity enterprise -- let's call it self-promoting -- has been difficult for a natural introvert, but so many people have told me (I hope sincerely) that the book illustrates "life as we (meaning pwds) know it" from a unique perspective. What I wanted most of all is the humanize the idea of disability, to pull it away from being seen as The Other.
Gary - yes, that's really important. People write books for different reasons, but yours is one of the best. It's a pleasure to post it here.
I am Catholic and ran across your blog the day I found out my parents are facing foreclosure on their home. I didn't realize what trouble they were in after taking on a second mortgage and wish they'd come to me sooner. But this information helped us find them a place to go. Thank you from all of us.
Fran - very glad it helped you all out. Thanks for letting me know.
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