Whether your parents decided to make a move when they retired or you relocated to pursue your career, managing a long-distance relationship with aging family members can be a challenge. If you find yourself considering whether it is time to put down roots closer to your senior loved ones, this guide from the Sadle Home Selling Team can help you make that decision.

 

In-Home Services

 

Data cited on LongTermCare.gov shows that a person who is 65 or over has about a 70% chance of needing long-term care services at some point. If you or your loved one is having difficulty paying for outside assistance, you may want to consider whether you could provide some or all of these services yourself if you lived closer to your family member. Additionally, if you do choose to use support services, moving closer will make it easier for you to ensure your loved one is properly cared for and deal with any emergencies.

 

Even if you move closer, there may be some help you won’t have the time (or expertise) to provide. For example, you can hire a maid service and landscaper to clean the home and care for the yard. Or you can find a reliable gutter cleaning company to inspect and clean their gutters. Gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year.

 

Options for Senior Living

 

Once you have decided to live closer to your senior loved ones, it is time to review your options. You can either move to where your parents are or convince them to move to where you are. Part of the process involves deciding the best living situation for your parents. Can they remain in their own home with the proper assistance and modifications? Do they need to move in with you? Either of these choices may require some aging-in-place updates, starting with eliminating trip and fall hazards like rugs that may slip on hardwood floors and not having handrails on both sides of stairs or steps.

 

AARP points out that other considerations include whether they would be better off in an assisted living or other senior living community. Has their need progressed to where one or both parents require a long-term care facility? Arriving at this decision may not be easy. You and your parents may disagree on the best solution. Input from medical professionals or social services may help you make this decision.

 

Purchasing a New Home

 

A good way to make your home buying process easier is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This way, you walk into the home search process knowing how much home you can afford and not having to stress over whether you can get the loan amount you need.

 

As part of this process, the lender may consider your debt-to-income ratio, which is your total current monthly debt obligations divided by your total gross monthly income. Most lenders prefer this ratio to be under 50%. If it's too high, you may need to take steps to improve it, put down a larger down payment, or consider alternate financing options.

 

Your best option is to work with an experienced realtor from the Sadle Home Selling Team who can walk you through the home-buying process. Call 503-828-9551 to schedule an appointment.

Relocation Tips

 

After going through the big emotional decision to relocate, the prospect of a stressful move probably isn't very appealing. One of the best things you can do to destress your move is to get rid of stuff. Go through your closets, pantry, garage, and storage areas. Identify anything you haven't used in a while and donate or sell it. Make good use of outside help. Hire a moving company to handle some tasks for you.

 

The decision to relocate to help your aging loved ones is not an easy one. However, breaking it down into a step-by-step process that includes the input of all involved parties can help take some of the emotional burdens off you and your family.

Guest author: Eva Benoit

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