She was 80, living alone, and everyone in the family already knew, mom could no longer live alone, but nobody wanted to say it first.
So many of our clients are now navigating this exact question: how to make the best decisions for aging parents, before a crisis forces the decision for them. A recent client came to us facing this exact moment. Her mother could no longer safely live alone, but "assisted living" felt like giving up everything she'd spent a lifetime building. Her home had memories of raising a family with her husband...now alone, a decision had to be made with and for her. The fear wasn't the construction. It was losing independence. Moving in with her daughter, in her mind, meant losing that.