Learn how to know if assisted living is the right decision for your beloved elders.
Should you send your hale and hearty elder to care facility?
Most people think assisted living is ideal for those who are lonely and are not keeping well. Besides health concerns and loneliness, there are many reasons making an assisted living facility a great choice at this point of life.
Here we will discuss the signs helping you know if your beloved elder should move to an assisted living facility.
They Have Mobility Problems:
Do they need help in dressing, bathing and other errands? If they are facing problems in doing their everyday’s tasks, chances are their mobility is not efficient like before. It is more problematic if your elders are living alone. They always need somebody around to take care of them. This may be a good time for them to be moved to assisted living facility .
They Have Worsening Health Problems with Slow Recovery:
You can’t afford to leave an elder at home when they have serious medical condition like COPD, dementia, and heart failure tendency. But you also won't be able to be constantly present due to your schedule or other commitments. At an assisted living facility, they remain under medical supervision and get frequent health checkups.
Noticeable Weight Gain or Weight Loss:
Does your elder look much thinner than they used to? This can be because of the underlying health conditions like depression or even cancer. It is also possible that they are not able to shop for groceries or cook food easily, leading to weight loss. But that doesn’t mean that excessive weight gain is the sign of their good health. If they are putting on weight, diabetes and dementia may be slowing them down or they don’t remember eating. Someone with money problems would choose fewer fresh foods and more packaged foods like pasta or bread.
Therefore, you must take the dramatic changes in their weight seriously as it may be due to the poor care.
If They are No Longer “Social”:
The social circle of the person shrinks as he or she ages. However, being socially active at this age is important to deal with the problems causing by loneliness. Know if your elders still go for lunches or outings with friends. Do they participate in group events and religious activities? Loneliness can trigger depression and heart problems in older adults. Sending them to assisted living is really useful where they can enjoy the company of like-minded people.
They are No Longer Able to Maintain Their Home:
Given the health and mobility issues in this age, a person can’t perform the household chores and maintenance tasks easily. Have a look in and around their home. Do you find cluttered rooms, stale food on shelves or excess of unused items? Are their bushes that haven’t been trimmed for a long time or mails piling up?
If so, it is clear sign that an elder is no longer able to do these common errands with ease.
Conclusion:
With the help of these signs, you can easily decide if your elders need to be assisted living services. However, it's important not force to them in any manner. Help them see the advantages and great benefits to assisted living communities so that they can be excited and look forward to adventure and comfort in their golden years.
