February 21, 2019 by Dean Bellefeuille

The initial signs are likely to be so subtle that a lot of people wouldn’t even recognize that anything is amiss. Mom is outgoing, pleasant, and conversational while visiting friends and family and while running errands. However, those closest to her have begun to recognize concerns: being forgetful about the soup cooking on the stove, resulting in a scorched pan. Putting her keys in the cookie jar. Neglecting to pay bills. Are these signs of a decline in an aging parent’s competency?

As an adult child of someone at the beginning stages of compromised safety or the ability to make sound choices, it is typically incredibly challenging to transition to a higher amount of involvement and assistance – nevertheless, it is also important to take the appropriate steps sooner rather than later.

Similar to broaching any confrontational topic of conversation, addressing an aging parent’s competency is likely to be met with resistance and defensiveness in the beginning. And yet, it’s useful to summarize the particular cause of your concern, and also the negative consequences if these signs and symptoms continue on or progress.

At Home Independent Living, the experts in senior living in Cicero, NY, and the surrounding areas, advocates this strategy:

  1. Be sure that a durable power of attorney has been assigned.
  2. Affirm with your sisters and brothers that the issue must be addressed, and discuss together what choices are accessible for the senior’s care as needs continue to grow.
  3. Remain loving but steady in your strategy. Explain the choices you’ve thought through. If she balks at the thought of relocating to an assisted living facility, which many older adults do, suggest an in-home caregiver instead, permitting her to stay independent and safe within the comfort of home.
  4. Recognize that it will probably take many conversations before the older adult accepts the necessity for assistance – which is the reason why it is essential to start the process at the earliest opportunity.

At Home Independent Living’s care team is experienced in assisting older adults to feel safe and positive about how home care services will help enhance safety and overall quality of life and well-being. As soon as your family decides the time is right for assistance, we are able to assist with highly customized care that can meet a wide array of needs, including:

  • Companionship
  • Meal planning and preparation
  • Housework and laundry
  • Transportation
  • Running errands
  • Highly specialized care for dementia
  • And so much more

Whether the need is for just a few hours weekly to improve safety and socialization, full-time care, or anything in between, partnering with the experts in senior living in Cicero, NY, and surrounding areas, At Home Independent Living, improves quality of life for seniors and offers peace of mind for individuals who love them. Contact us at (315) 579-HOME (4663) for an in-home assessment to learn the ways we can help.


 February 14, 2019 by Dean Bellefeuille

The most up-to-date Alzheimer’s data is sobering. The illness is currently the sixth leading cause of death, rising above both breast cancer and prostate cancer together. And while deaths from other chronic health conditions, like cardiovascular disease, are decreasing, those from Alzheimer’s have escalated more than 100%. The toll the disease takes on family caregivers is similarly shocking, with more than 16 million Americans providing over 18 billion hours of care for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. (more…)


 February 7, 2019 by Dean Bellefeuille

In marriage, we consent to stick with each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness as well as in health – but what does not come up in our vows to one another is the way to handle the mounting needs of senior care as our parents age.

Yet with our life span increasing, it is highly recommended to have a strategy based on both the needs of our parents as they grow older, as well as the multitude of daily needs, all while honoring our cherished relationship with a spouse. It’s a challenge that’s causing tension and pressure for 80% of couples interviewed, resulting in detachment and much less quality time together. At Home Independent Living shares the following areas in a marriage that are especially impacted by live in elderly care for a senior loved one: (more…)