Omaha Senior AdvisorHow do we know a parent can no longer live alone safely?
Common signs are falls or near-falls, missed medications, spoiled food or weight loss, unpaid bills, getting lost while driving, unexplained bruises, poor hygiene, a house that is no longer kept up, and calls from neighbors; one sign is a reason to look closer, and several together usually mean help is needed now.
Visit at different times of day, look in the refrigerator and the mail, and talk with the doctor with your parent's permission. A care manager from ENOA (for people 60 and older in Douglas, Sarpy, Cass and Washington counties) can do a comprehensive in-home assessment of daily activities, finances, cognition, nutrition and home safety.
What are the options short of moving?
Many Omaha parents can stay home longer with a mix of part-time home care, Meals on Wheels, an emergency response system, adult day services, home modifications and family help; for eligible adults the AD Waiver or PACE can pay for much of it.
At Nebraska's 2025 median of $36 an hour, ten hours a week of home care costs about $1,560 a month. Adult day health runs about $162 a day at the median. ENOA's programs ask for contributions based on income. See home care vs. assisted living.
When is assisted living the right move?
Assisted living is usually right when a parent needs help several times a day or at unpredictable hours, is unsafe at night, is isolated, or needs medication management that family cannot provide every day; Nebraska ALFs provide shelter, meals, personal care, health maintenance and medication assistance under a written service agreement.
Use the directory to see every licensed ALF near your parent or near you, with its memory care and Medicaid waiver status from the state roster. Tour at least two, at mealtime and again in the evening.
How do we talk with a parent about moving?
Start early and with your parent, not about them: describe specific worries, ask what matters most to them, offer choices rather than a decision, and involve their doctor or a trusted friend if the conversation stalls.
Many parents agree to try a short respite stay in an ALF before committing. Some Omaha communities offer furnished respite apartments for a few weeks. If your parent lacks capacity to decide, a durable power of attorney for health care or, as a last resort, a guardianship may be needed.
Sources include 175 NAC 4 (assisted-living facilities), the Nebraska Revised Statutes cited above, Nebraska DHHS program and licensure pages, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables; see our editorial standards.
