A remarkable woman died a few weeks ago. She was my mother.
By the grace of God, Mom stayed in relatively good health until the final six months of her 89+ years. However, it became obvious around her birthday last November that the slow, steady decline of older age was becoming more rapid.
In early November, she was still driving to the community aquatic center for water aerobic exercise. By mid-December, she was hospitalized for tests and observation. By early January, she was increasingly confused and sometimes could not stand or walk.
For years, Mom had told us about an assisted-living facility where she had many friends, so we moved her there in early January, hoping she would regain her strength and presence of mind. Within a few weeks (days, really), my sister and I realized she was not recuperating and that she needed a greater level of care than assisted living offered.
With heavy hearts, we considered nursing homes.
Then, God served up a "divine appointment." One of my mother's friends had heard about a "personal care home" (PCH) in the area. I wasn't familiar with personal care homes, but I learned that there are thousands of them nationwide. Typically, these are once private residences that have been re-purposed and outfitted to care for a small number of ailing people, usually people near the end of their earthly journey.
My sister and I visited the home recommended to us, where we found a cheery environment and a small, gracious staff. Within a few days, we were able to move Mom there. It became the place where she would live the final two months of her life.
We were deeply grateful for the Lord's provision, knowing that He had guided us to a place where Mom would be safe and well cared for.
Given my recent experience, my SMI colleague Matt Bell suggested I write a post highlighting personal care homes as an option for an aging parent or other loved one needing later-life care. Here is some of what I have discovered.
'A middle ground'
Personal care homes (sometimes called "residential care homes") are licensed and supervised by state governments, so the legal definition of a PCH varies slightly from state to state. But here, in general terms, is a description from an elder law website:
A Personal Care Home (PCH) is a residential facility providing assistance to individuals who need help with daily activities but do not require the level of medical care found in nursing homes....
PCHs offer services such as meal preparation, grooming assistance, and medication management. Residents benefit from 24-hour staff support and engage in social and recreational activities, creating a sense of community.
These homes serve as a middle ground between independent living and more intensive care options.
Many PCHs are in residential neighborhoods, and they radiate a "homey" rather than an "institutional" feel.
The personal care home we found for my mother had a well-lit kitchen, a comfortable dining room, a sun room in the back, and a large deck facing a wooded area. And it was in an area familiar to my family, being just across the road from the neighborhood where my Mom and Dad lived during most of their empty-nester years.
I later discovered that this particular personal care home is just one of hundreds in Georgia, all of which are in a searchable state-run online database (the graphic at right shows the number of PCHs in various parts of the state).
Several other states have similar databases or online listings (for example, Pennsylvania and Kentucky).
Also, the privately run A Place for Mom website has a searchable database of personal care homes across the U.S. To access the information, however, you must provide your name, email address, and phone number.
Private pay
The monthly cost for a PCH can vary widely. In our case, the cost was roughly the same as that of a nearby assisted-living facility, and it was significantly less than area nursing homes.
That said, while most of the nursing homes would accept Medicaid payments (if my Mom's financial resources deteriorated to the point of needing to rely on Medicaid), the personal care home would not. It was a "private pay" facility, meaning there was a substantial out-of-pocket payment each month.
Thankfully, the Lord provided what we needed.
Just what our family needed
Finding the right elder-care option for an aging loved one can be difficult. Every option has pros and cons. But my sister and I can say without reservation that we were blessed to discover a personal care home that was well-suited to our mother's needs.
I'm grateful to have learned about this option for care, and I appreciate SMI allowing me to share some of what I've learned with you!
