These days, many of us find ourselves at a crossroads when it comes to the care of our aging parents. That’s when it comes time to assess your parent’s true needs and make sure your senior parent is getting the right amount of help and support. Often, that means they need the care and attention provided through assisted living. This kind of living arrangement can be of great value and provide integrated safety and support for an elderly person who no longer wants to live alone and needs a helping hand but doesn’t require the urgency and medically intensive care provided at a nursing home. So, how do you know when it’s time to? Let’s look at five signs that you should consider assisted living for your aging parents. Here are five signs that your parents would benefit from assisted living.
1. Decline in Physical Health
One of the most common signs that you need to find a retirement home for your senior parents is the obvious decline in their overall health. Age brings with it a whole host of health issues ranging from physical afflictions such as mobility to chronic illness. If you feel that your parents are struggling with activities such as bathing, dressing, or taking medications, then assisted living is an option worth considering.
Key Signs to Look For:
- Trouble with walking: If Mom or Dad seem to struggle when they walk or get up without furniture to hold on to, they could require more support. You should pay careful attention to any falls or near-falls.
- Matter-of-fact Interaction: they may answer in a haughty tone or appear ‘sun-starved’ and ‘grim’. Unkempt Appearance: deterioration in personal appearance or unkemptness, for instance going without a bath or grooming.
- Chronic Health Problems: If it’s getting more and more difficult to cope with everyday chronic conditions – diabetes, arthritis, heart problems – there will be full-time medical staff on hand for care and oversight.
Benefits of Assisted Living:
Assisted living communities offer help with daily activities while letting residents live as independently as possible. They may provide personal care services and medications as well as physical therapy, which can be useful for people dealing with health declines.
2. Safety Concerns
If the fact that your parents are getting older puts a lot of strain on you because they aren’t safe at home, that their house is not safe anymore, and they might have accidents, then that might be a good reason to consider assisted living. Your parents must be safe.
Key Signs to Look For:
- Home Dangers: Does the house contain tripping hazards or slip or fall dangers (clutter, throw rugs, dark/poor lighting, stairs to the bathroom, etc)? If your loved one is living in a cluttered environment, low-lit space, or home without grab bars, handrails, and non-slip mats on the tub and floor, you should discuss the issue immediately. Make sure to visit your loved one as often as possible to complete routine activities such as grocery shopping, meal preparation, and so forth.
- Recurring falls or accidents: three or more falls at home within 12 months is a red flag that your parents are starting to lose their ability to navigate the environment safely by themselves.
- Don’t just think someone is becoming less sharp – think it might endanger them. Too much forgetfulness, for example, leaving the stove on or continually forgetting to lock doors, could endanger someone completely.
Benefits of Assisted Living:
Assisted living communities are typically designed with safety in mind and often have features such as emergency call systems, secure entrances, and staff on hand 24/7 to respond to a safety concern right away.
3. Social Isolation and Depression
Staying socially engaged is a primary way to keep the mind and mood healthy, especially as one ages. If your parents are isolated socially or depressed, it’s time to consider a new plan.
Key Signs to Look For:
- Loss of Interest in Hobbies: If your parent is no longer practicing music or playing golf, this could indicate depression or loneliness. Loss of Interest in Home and Appearance: If your parent is no longer keeping up the yard or dressing neatly, this could be a warning sign.
- Mood or Behaviour Changes: for example, more irritability or sadness could be a sign that you have a mental health problem.
- Reduction In Social Interactions: A sudden decrease in activities, such as no longer attending church, a club, a community activity, a family gathering, or a favorite restaurant, could be a big indication that your parent is possibly not emotionally well.
Benefits of Assisted Living:
Many assisted living communities offer a wide array of activities, events, and meal times with daily structured social interaction, all of which can reduce feelings of loneliness and contribute to good mental health.
4. Difficulty Managing Daily Tasks
As people get to retirement age, accomplishing basic tasks can become more and more of a burden. Are your parents no longer able to cook, keep house, or even take care of their hygiene by themselves? Assisted living might be in order.
Key Signs to Look For:
- Neglected Household Chores: Discernible changes in their household environment, like seeing the home become increasingly messy or dirtier than when they were away, or dishes piling up in the sink, can alert you to problems in their home management.
- Financial Difficulty: Can’t handle bills, budget, or make sound financial decisions.
- Problems with Personal Care: The inability to bathe, groom, and dress oneself may mean requiring help with such daily personal care.
Benefits of Assisted Living:
Residents in an assisted living center have daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and dressing taken care of and are given time to enjoy life while retaining their independence.
5. Need for 24/7 Care
Some elders may deal with medical issues or cognitive decline that require them to be on call 24/7. In such cases, your parents must consider assisted living.
Key Signs to Look For:
- Dementia: If your parents are losing the ability to eat, dress, and take care of themselves and need constant supervision and nursing care, they will require professional care.
- Another practical reason is the level of medical support that an assisted living facility can provide. Do your parent have medical needs or require extensive medication management?
- Caring for them has become your full-time job. As their children age, they are increasingly dependent on others around them and are unable to function independently. Mom and Dad are ready to move.
Benefits of Assisted Living:
These types of communities also have a live-in staff to provide residents with medical and nursing support, supervision, and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). This constant presence allows residents to have more agency in their lives while receiving the supervision they need.
Making the Decision
The decision to move your father, mother, or another aged relative into assisted living can be a momentous one. It is important to have your parents be as involved in the decision-making process as they can be and to respect their wishes and feelings about the move.
Steps to Take:
Evaluate the Type of Care Needed: Are your parents doing OK physically and safe at home? Could they benefit from having someone to talk to daily? Are they able to manage their daily tasks, or could they use some assistance getting the day started? In the case of family caregivers living close by, is there an opportunity to help with some basic bill paying, meal or grocery deliveries, or by transporting them to an appointment?
- Choosing a Research Assisted Living Option: Research assisted living facilities that have the service and amenities your mum or dad needs. Visit several communities and make comparisons.
- Talk with Your Parents: Honest conversations with your loved ones about their needs and wants, and how you’re going to be part of their decision-making process.
- Get advice: Talk to healthcare professionals, social workers, or elder care advisors about what is best for your parents.
- Plan the Move: Organise the move, settle your parent into the new home, and provide supportive emotional care.
It’s not an easy decision to make and can be very emotionally charged. However, choosing assisted living for your older parents can be the best thing for them in the long term and can improve their quality of life while supporting their medical needs and social interactions. If you can read the warning signs for those who may need assisted living and take thoughtful steps to address these needs, it can ensure that your parents are receiving the support and care they need in their older years.
If you see any of the symptoms above in your parents, you might want to think about assisted living. The right living environment should allow your parents’ independent lives, in conjunction with the right level of professional assistance, care, and protection.
