Arrangements and Care Options
When discussing who will provide continuous daily care for your loved one, you can choose from these general categories:

Independent Living
Your loved one stays in his own home or rents an apartment and provides for himself. You oversee the situation and offer assistance and guidance when necessary.

Assisted living community
Your loved one lives independently in a facility that provides some additional support, such as light housekeeping, daily meals, medication management, etc.

Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE)
Very similar to Assisted-living, but usually with a maximum of 6 residents.

Adult day services
A community-based group program helps meet the needs of your loved one through an individualized plan of care. Such programs provide a structured comprehensive program in a protective setting for a part of each day, for example, while you're at work.

Home Care
You become responsible for seeing that a loved one's needs are met around the clock. You can move in with your loved one, move your loved one into your home, and, if necessary, either hire home health care professionals or become the sole caregiver yourself.

An Intermediate Care or Skilled Nursing Facility
These facilities are designed for people who need continuous, professional care at some level. Ask doctors, hospital discharge planners, social workers and friends for suggestions. You can also obtain a catalog of skilled nursing facilities from your State Department of Health or State Agency on Aging. Discuss with your loved one what might happen if you can't maintain the level of care needed for him at home. Often people dread the idea of nursing homes and hospitals, but they may become necessary. On the other hand, these options may be out of financial reach so all other options must be exhausted first. Remind your loved one that the final decisions will depend largely on his health and finances at the time. Explain that you will try to carry out his references, but don't make promises you may not be able to keep.