“I had viewed that really as a wonderful gift from my father to my brother, me, and our families. I decided that we ought to give the same gift to our daughters,” shared Joel Glass, a Friends Life Care member since 2006. 

In 1996, Joel’s father, Ephraim, knew he wanted support in place as he got older. Instead of making plans to move into a retirement community or nursing home, he joined Friends Life Care. Joel shared how his father’s experience as a member influenced his own decision to plan for continuing care at home and, eventually, provide that same sense of preparation for his own daughters by joining Friends Life Care. 

Jenny. F, a Friends Life Care member since 2012, was also influenced by her mother’s decision to become a member. Her mother had other financial safeguards in place, but as Jenny explained, they would not have been enough on their own. As her mother’s needs have changed over the years, Jenny has seen firsthand the difference having a plan and support in place can make. 

The Advice Every Adult Child Needs to Hear  

As Jenny’s mother got older, it became clear that she had dementia. Jenny was there as much as she could be, but she did not live right around the corner from her mother, so having extra support was always part of her mother’s long-term care plan. Jenny also emphasized that her mother never really wanted help. 

Because she had a Care Coordinator, someone outside of her loved ones was there to help make sure she had the right support in place to comfortably live at home for as long as possible. It started with a caregiver coming to her home a couple of times a week for a few hours. She would take her out to lunch and go with her to the supermarket. 

Now, as Jenny’s mother approaches her 100th birthday and her dementia and care needs have progressed, Jenny has seen how important it is to have support in place. She has also learned the importance of having conversations with your loved ones about what they want for themselves as they get older. 

“It’s a huge change and it’s difficult, but start as early as you can to figure out: What do we need to do? Who wants what? Who wants to live in the old family home?” 

These conversations can be difficult, but they are much easier to have early, before you reach the point when decisions need to be made. For Jenny, watching her mother’s experience also influenced her own decision to become a Friends Life Care member. She knows that if her own needs change one day, she will have that same kind of support to help her navigate what comes next. 

The Gift of Planning for Continuing Care at Home 

Joel Glass sees having a plan for how he is going to stay at home as he gets older as a gift to his daughters. Joel saw the help his father had as he got older, and he knew that if his father had not put that support in place, the responsibilities of helping him with his daily life would have fallen to Joel and his brother. 

That experience made Joel think about his own future. He realized that one day, he could have similar challenges with making his own meals, doing household chores, or handling other everyday tasks. He did not want those responsibilities to fall on his children. 

Now, as Joel gets older, he is grateful to have support in place for both him and his wife. That support has included help with things like ordering groceries online, carrying large items he cannot manage on his own, and putting things away. As their needs change, they know they have someone to turn to for additional support, helping them continue to live at home, as Joel says, “indefinitely, we hope.” 

You can watch Joel Glass and Jenny F’s full stories to hear how their parents’ experiences with Friends Life Care encouraged them to plan for continuing care at home and how that planning is helping them navigate their own aging journeys on YouTube: 

A Legacy of Planning: Two Generations of Friends Life Care Membership

A Legacy of Planning: A Gift to the Next Generation

Visit our testimonial page to hear more firsthand experiences with Friends Life Care: friendslifecare.org/how-were-different/testimonials/