You've probably heard the terms "assisted living" and "skilled nursing" used interchangeably, maybe even by well-meaning friends or family members offering advice. But these two types of senior care are quite different, and understanding the distinction matters when you're thinking ahead about a parent's future.
You know your parent's pharmacy number by heart, but you live three states away. You've memorized the name of their doctor in Cherry Hill, NJ, and you've got a running mental list of things to check on during your next visit. But between flights, work deadlines, and your own family responsibilities, you sometimes wonder: Am I doing enough?
You already know this conversation needs to happen. You've probably played it out a dozen times: standing in the kitchen after a visit, sitting in your car in the driveway, lying awake at 2 a.m. running through what you'd say and how your parent might react. The research is done. You've looked into communities in Marlton, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, and across South Jersey. Now the hardest part is putting those words out loud.