Aging in Place vs. Senior Living

Yes, senior living can be the answer for many when it comes to loneliness, but parents have the right to make decisions. We are very independent beings and many of our aging parents are not prepared to live in a senior living community. For them, aging in  place is the best option.

Our response to this need and desire? A Life Enrichment program. Here’s what Caring Considerations will do to help reduce isolation.

We Want To Get To Know You

The in-person, Life Enrichment sessions are customized to meet the specific interests of seniors in ways that are meaningful and relevant. Clients typically receive weekly visits, but we will discuss a schedule to meet a loved-one’s desires.

What Are Life Enrichment Visits?

We provide hourly curated engagement, recreation, and social activities as part of a holistic Aging Life Care® plan.

Physical

• Workout buddy – PT prescribed exercises and seated exercise videos
• Walking Companion

Creative

• Writing
• Craft projects
• Reminiscing & conversation

Brain Fitness

• Math Brain Boost
• Trivia (variety of topics: sports, movies, country specific, holidays)
• Word puzzles

In our Aging Life Care® consulting practice, we witness numerous lingering issues resulting from the COVID lockdown.  Older adults want to remain independent, but often lack the insight and energy to incorporate more social opportunities.  The isolation imposed by the lockdown is perpetual and increasingly a barrier to  seniors returning to the life they enjoyed prior to the pandemic.

An Added Benefit

When your parent doesn’t want to move to assisted living, but you worry about them, Life Enrichment visits can be a non-threatening “check-in.”  Although we don’t provide personal care, we can provide feedback about your loved one’s overall well-being.

Contact Us

To learn about this program and more, call 571-488-9396 or email us at [email protected].

I often find our local, northern Virginia government confusing and overwhelming.  We hope that if you need mental health resources that you will contact our Aging Life Care Professionals at 571-488-9396 or reach out to the entities below:

Local Resources:

• Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board offers help for mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities. Click here for a flyer on getting help during COVID-19, or call 703-383-8500 for more information and to apply for services.

• Prince William County Community Services Board provides mental health, developmental disability, substance abuse, emergency services and early intervention programs for residents of Prince William County. You can visit their website for more information, or call 703-792-7373 (Woodbridge) or 703-792-5241 (Manassas) if you need assistance.

• PRS provides skills training and supports to individuals living with mental illness, substance use disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders  throughout Northern Virginia and in the District of Columbia. For more information on services offered in Virginia, call 703-536-9000 or click here.

• If you need mental health support, or assistance with other essentials like finding food and paying rent/mortgage, dial 211 to be connected with someone who can help.

For Immediate Help:

• Disaster Distress Helpline. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) provides crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S. experiencing distress or other behavioral health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including public health emergencies.

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or click here to chat online. Offers 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

• Caregiver Help Desk. Contact Caregiver Action Network’s Care Support Team by dialing 855-227-3640. Staffed by caregiving experts, the Help Desk helps you find the right information you need to help you navigate your complex caregiving challenges. Caregiving experts are available 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM ET.  
•   If you are in an emergency, call 911.

For LGBTQ+ Individuals:

• LGBT National Help Center. Call 800-246-7743 or visit glbthotline.org. Offers a talkline and weekly chatrooms for youth, providing confidential peer-support, information, local resources and community. 

• The Trevor Project. Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678. A national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.

• Trans Lifeline. Dial 877-565-8860. Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers.

For Survivors of Assault and Abuse:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline. For any victims and survivors who need support, call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-799-7233 for TTY, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.

• The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
  Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

For Veterans

• Veteran Crisis Line. Call 1-(800) 273-8255 and press 1, text 838255, or click here to reach a qualified responder with the VA.

• Department of Veterans Affairs. Click here for a resource guide to help veterans manage stress during the pandemic.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and remember that my office is here to help. Be sure to visit the COVID-19 page on my website for more information and resources. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.

Sincerely,