Parents often wait too long before taking a serious look at their plans for health care—just in case. When one or both parents face a health crisis, they suddenly have fewer options. They can be forced to pay the enormous cost of long-term care. The burden of care also falls on you—and parents don’t want that to happen.

Your parents can make the move now, knowing that they have a full year to sell their house without incurring any additional charges. They will also get four hours of complimentary consulting services and substantial discounts from our preferred partners. This program has answers all the tough questions—financial, organizational, real estate, downsizing and moving. We’ve got a professional team—and the financial programs—lined up and in place to help with all the aspects of moving into The Holmstad:

• Program Coordinator
• Financial Assistance Advisor
• Home Staging Services
• Home Downsizing Experts
• Real Estate Professionals
• Moving Coordinators
• Handyman Services
• Moving Companies
• Interior Decorators

Many of the services we provide are complimentary. Those services that require a fee offer substantial price reduction.

Research at top universities, including Harvard and Tufts, proves that people can gain strength and energy at any age—even in their 90s.

Socialization and intellectual stimulation help sharpen their cognitive powers.

In a community setting, they get personal fitness instruction, the best possible nutrition and guidance for wellness, day after day.

Perhaps most important, they are surrounded by caring friends, both residents and staff, who share laughter, lively conversations and new experiences.

Isolation, inactivity and poor eating habits speed up the aging process. Community life is rejuvenating.

The best way to learn the inside story about life at The Holmstad is to talk with our residents. Come to an event or schedule a personal visit. Better than any Web site, you’ll learn the true quality of our way of life from the great people who could be your new neighbors.

Click here for financial information that will help you guide this conversation.

I didn’t know.
    
My parents summered in New England, wintered in Florida, and traveled all over with friends. During 65 years of marriage, they saved and invested prudently. They thought life would go on like that forever.

Then my father developed Parkinson’s. He had their house adapted for his growing mobility problems, including a custom staircase elevator that cost more than $30,000. (It also cost a small fortune to remove it when we had to sell the house.)

I didn’t know that his increasing intransigence—especially about leaving the house—was the beginning of dementia.

By the time it became clear, we were under the gun. We had to place him in a dementia care unit. The house was too much for my mother, even with help. We had to sell it under duress and place her in a senior apartment on the other side of town.

For the first time in their marriage, they were apart. And my life became a daily shuttle from one parent to the other, taking each to a host of doctors, lab tests and social workers. The times they even saw each other grew farther and farther apart.

They had planned for a life together. They didn’t plan on spending down their assets on two separate facilities. My father’s long-term care alone ran more than $12,000 a month. In his last year of life, he’d apologize over and over for the burden he placed on me. He’d say, “You’re my father now.”

When we made all these 11th hour decisions, I didn’t know what a continuing care retirement community was. I didn’t know how it could have kept them closer, provided ongoing care and protected their assets. I didn’t know how much help was ready and waiting.

I know now.

The sooner you start talking about retirement options, the better—no matter what you and your parents decide.

Do it while they’re healthy and can enjoy community life, before a health problem forces you to make a move under duress.

Do it while you have time to plan a comfortable transition, so you don’t have to rush with downsizing, selling the home or making the move.

Do it before a small health problem turns into a difficult and costly one.

Most residents will tell them, “I wish I’d come here five years ago.”  The time to make a move to maintenance-free living is while they are healthy, active and able to enjoy community life. If they wait until a health problem forces their decision, they have fewer choices and less time to make them.

If you have a conversation on a sensitive subject, be ready for a “no.” It happens a lot. You may be trying to have a conversation about staying in the family home or just asking parents to think about what comes next. They often initially say they are not ready for changes. You should remain confident knowing that most parents who do agree to make changes usually acknowledge that they wish they’d done it sooner. They gradually find that their decision makes their lives easier and offers more peace of mind.

In many cases, putting the conversation on hold is perfectly OK. It may be time for you to back off for a time, if the situation doesn’t involve safety issues. You can go back again with new conversations or topics when the opportunity arises. See our article on “How To Best Get Started” to help you watch for openings to re-start the conversation.

If you genuinely have fears for the safety of your parent and those around them, GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. A social worker they may have worked with in the past, a local case manager, their physician or their pastor can provide help to say, “In this situation, these are your choices … period.” You can use a professional as your mediator in this situation so you don’t have to play the role of the bad guy. Let them do it for you.

• It’s OK to disagree. When this happens, make everyone feel heard, valued and appreciated. Try to keep the conversation calm when there is disagreement. This will help keep the lines of communication open.
• Separate these issues from your overall relationship. Reassure your parents that you are there to help them in other aspects of their lives.
• Keep in mind that often parents are most resistive when they are really struggling.
• If communication becomes strained, call a recess. You might want to set a date to reopen the conversation in a month or two.
• Look for options that can achieve your parents’ goals with less risk.
• Family and friends may actually be enabling the situation. If you find yourself doing house chores (yard work, snow removal, house cleaning, stocking groceries, household repairs, doing dishes) on a constant basis, you may need to pull back and let your parents have a good reality check, so that they realize their frailties.
• As adult children you want to be able to fix things for your parents. Give yourself permission to not have to do this. Set your own limits. Your parents can dictate how they will live, but cannot dictate how you will.
• Make sure your parents know you are their advocate. You are on their side.
• It can be a good idea to ask if you can accompany them to the doctor when they have an appointment. They will usually tell the doctor everything is “fine.” You can bring up an incident or condition that you observed as unsafe or worrisome and ask the doctor about it. This can help the doctor (whose help you may need later) understand the real situation.
• One daughter scheduled “Date Nights With Dad.” These occasions helped her understand her father’s fears and eventually helped her overcome his objections.
• Keep doing your research to put a plan in place. It will be useful when the time is right.
• Protect your health. This process can be very stressful, so consider counseling or a support group to help you talk through your feelings.
• Your parents have rights; be careful not to tread on them. Remember that your parents are in charge of their own lives and are free to make their own mistakes.

If your parents finally say, “Yes,” be ready to move quickly with options you have researched and discussed. Once a decision is made to go forward, aging parents often want things to start happening. You may have to deal with selling a residence and helping your parents move, or begin contacting services to assist them with living at home.

Enjoy the best for your Illinois retirement.
At Covenant Living at the Holmstad, we offer an abundant array of attractive apartment, cottage and duplex homes to suit your independent living lifestyle.

Apartment Homes
With expansive views of our 38-acre parkland campus, a Holmstad apartment is a nature-lover’s paradise near Chicago, Illinois.

In fact, you’ll discover all the comforts of home in our apartments, with cheery, full kitchens, spacious master bedrooms, and generous closets and storage space.

Duplex & Cottage Homes—Your personal front door to the retirement you want
Our gracious neighborhood of one-story duplexes and charming cottage homes set on quiet residential cul-de-sacs offer a satisfying combination of designed-for-comfort interior space and intriguing architectural details.

Floor plans can accommodate any décor. A fully appointed eat-in kitchen may pique your interest in the culinary arts

Catered Living

When you need a little help but don’t need assisted living … when you’re tired of sitting home alone … when your family is concerned about your safety … our friendly neighborhood-style residence and selection of senior living services provide the convenience and security you need at our community near Chicago, Illinois.

In the close-knit neighborhood of residents and staff, apartments include a microwave and full-size refrigerator; comfort-height bathroom fixtures; carpeting; window treatments; and a walk-in closet. Your furnishings and appointments will make it truly your own. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes

• Three delicious, nutritious daily meals
• Programs and personnel to support your independent lifestyle
• Comforting reassurance of a supportive environment and secure future

If everyday activities such as dressing or managing medications sap your energy and steal your enthusiasm, reach for the helping hand of Assisted Living at Covenant Living at the Holmstad. Our customized personal assistance and supportive environment provide the foundation for independence. Then we offer resources and life-enriching opportunities that help you make the most of every day. Decorate your apartment home to suit your style. You'll also have ample closet space.

As part of our continuing care community, you'll have access to campus resources not often found in freestanding Assisted Living residences.

Available Services

• Memory and physical frailty support
• Medication administration
• 24-Hour call-for-aid service
• Dressing and grooming assistance
• Bathing assistance
• Incontinence support
• Licensed nursing care for injections and dressing change
• Oxygen package

Residences

• Alcoves
• One-Bedroom Residences
• Two-Bedroom/Two-Bath Residences

Dining

• Three chef-prepared meals daily with table service
• Dietician consultant available
• Meal delivery if necessary

Memory Support

With just 13 apartments in each, our memory care assisted living create an extended family. Located near Chicago, Illinois, the residences are a comforting environment, incorporating safety systems and supportive cues throughout—even in the secured outside courtyard and inside walking path. A silent paging system signals when assistance is needed, even if residents can’t.

We understand memory support; each member of Covenant Living at the Holmstad’s care staff is accredited in memory support care by the nationally recognized Alzheimer’s Association CARES® training program. They initiate interest-specific programs, strategically designed to help ease the challenges of memory loss including reminiscing, spiritual opportunities, life histories and more.

For those who require Skilled Nursing services, Covenant Living at the Holmstad offers far more than care. We endeavor to fulfill the lives of our residents by ensuring that they maintain the highest levels of health for mind, body and spirit.

• Short-term rehabilitation
• Long-term care
• Respite care
• Hospice

Available Services

• State-of-the-art nursing care available 24 hours a day
• Medicare-certified
• IV therapy
• Wound care
• Diabetes management
• Pain management
• Consultant services including dental, podiatry, optometry and audiology
• Rehabilitative therapies, including physical, occupational and speech
• Pharmaceutical services
• Wheelchair-accessible transportation

Residences

• Private rooms
• Semi-private rooms

Dining

• Three meals daily with entrée selection
• Dietician consultant available
• Special diets accommodated
• Dining assistance
• Nutritious snacks

A home care and private duty/personal assistance agency, our sister organization CovenantCare at Home responds to the changing face of health care. Located near Chicago, Illinois, they provide a full range of services—Medicare-certified skilled nursing, personal care and companionship; and hospice care—to residents of Covenant Living at the Holmstad and to those in the surrounding community.

For the past three years, CovenantCare at Home has been named one of the country’s top 25 percent of the Home Care Elite agencies.

Covenant Living at the Holmstad offers rehabilitation services as a part of our Skilled Nursing program to help individuals regain mobility, speech, balance and the skills necessary to maintain their highest level of independence:

• Occupational Therapy: Helps rebuild the skills necessary for performing daily activities of living
• Speech Therapy: To regain speech and language skills, as well as other oral-motor skills such as swallowing
• Physical Therapy: To rebuild strength, mobility and ambulation

We work in partnership sharing a common goal: to restore our patients to the highest possible level of function and comfort.

Available Services

• Nurse practitioner manages your rehab by bridging physical medicine, therapy and pain management
• Customized one-to-one physical, occupational and speech therapy
• Therapy 7 days/week
• Wound care
• Diabetes management
• Pain management
• Consultant services including dental, podiatry, optometry and audiology
• Rehabilitative therapies, including physical, occupational and speech
• Pharmaceutical services
• Wheelchair-accessible transportation

Residences

• Private rooms
• Semi-private rooms

Dining

• Three meals daily with entrée selection
• Dietician consultant available
• Special diets accommodated 
• Dining assistance
• Nutritious snacks