My friend put his face close to mine looking eager for an answer to his question:
“How did you get your parents to leave their house?” he wanted to know.
Sadly, my answer didn’t help him much because my father’s doctor literally ordered him out of my parents’ three-story house to avoid stairs, which was probably wise for my mother too.
(Read below to learn about a loan I got to fund my parents’ short-notice relocation.)
What the pros say about nudging older adults to move.
While I can’t personally give good advice about nudging resistant parents from their beloved abodes, I can link to experts. I can also direct you to Mettle Health for counselors who can help with a range of difficult care-related conversations.
Mettle Health counselors are trained in palliative care, which doesn’t mean end-of-life care but care that aims to improve quality of life for patients and caregivers facing serious illness.
Full disclosure:
I haven’t used Mettle Health but feel comfortable promoting the company because its founder has been on my radar for a while and I like his thinking.
What I say about funding a move into senior living.
My parents moved from their house in DC into a senior community apartment in Chicago. This didn’t come cheap and I got a bridge loan from Elderlife Financial to make it happen.
Bridge Loans are short-term loans of 5k-500K that can be approved in as little as 24 hours.
Up to 6 people can co-sign for the loan, which must be repaid within a year. This typically happens using funds from the sale of a house or the lump sum payment of Aid & Attendance benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(VA pays the 1st A&A benefits payment retroactive from the application date.)
The bridge loan was a lifesaver for my family and the whole process was easy. You can read about the pros and cons here to help decide if it’s right for your situation.
What Dominik says about acetaminophen.
I couldn’t end this post without sharing this tidbit:
Acetaminophen can reduce positive empathy for others.
Dominik Mischkowski published these findings. He says that just as we shouldn’t drink and drive, we shouldn’t take acetaminophen and do things that require emotional responsiveness, like telling our parents it’s time for a change that they may not want.
Published by