How To Easily Know When It Is Time For Assisted Living
Top 7 signs your loved ones need to be in assisted living.
It is great when your parents are living and doing well. But when they cannot care for themselves or if your parent is diagnosed with dementia. In such cases, many families may consider moving their parents to assisted living if they cannot handle the task of caregiving or living at home alone. It can be challenging to attend to your loved one, but it’s not impossible. With the proper knowledge, you can do this. Remember to care for yourself and keep your business going while caregiving. I’m here to assist you on this journey; schedule your planning session with me so we can look at how to keep your life and your business running smoothly.
Why consider assisted living?
Many of us might not always be comfortable sending or moving our parents to an assisted living facility. So many questions may keep haunting us day in and day out. This may make you feel guilty, and you may withdraw the idea of assisted living. But as selfish as this may sound, moving a loved one to an assisted living facility may not be a bad idea or a decision. If you are not ready to think about this, here are some resources to help you care for your loved one quickly.
Understanding the top 7 signs indicating the need for an assisted living facility
It may not always be easy to understand that your loved one needs to go to a facility where they receive 24×7 medical care and support. So, how would you know it’s time for your loved one to go to an assisted living facility? Here are the following signs which can help you make this decision:
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Caregiving becomes unsustainable
Caring for your loved one is becoming difficult with each passing day. This could be because of two reasons: you are becoming tired and unable to manage everything together, or your loved one needs more care than before. This could be due to their illness and diminishing physical capabilities.
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The frequency of medical care increases
Our loved ones can get sicker or weaker; about 80% of seniors can come down with a chronic condition in their lifetime. Additionally, 68% would suffer from 2 or more chronic medical conditions. These statistics indicate a threat to their care. Any negligence on our part would mean unnecessary complications when you notice that your loved ones are getting sicker and need better medical care. You have to understand that it would be better if they were at an assisted living facility to get better care. So, certain conditions would make your loved ones good candidates for assisted living:
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They are unable to take their medications correctly and on time
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They are recovering from a major illness/accident
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Their existing medical condition is worsening, and they need 24×7 medical care and attention.
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The frequency of accidents increases
As individual ages, there is a decrease in their physical capabilities as well as balance. As their sense of balance weakens, they are more prone to falls and accidents, the effects of which may go unnoticed for long periods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 5 senior falls can cause head injury and trauma. Managing frequent falls and accidents can be difficult with no help around and your loved one at home. In such cases, it would always be a good idea to move them to an assisted living facility to have support staff around them around the clock. With this, they would get proper care, and any injury or accidents would be immediately attended to.
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Need help with their daily tasks
Many seniors can take care of their daily chores without help. At the same time, many seniors are unable to complete their activities for daily living. You may observe that your loved ones are not appropriately dressed or their hygiene is not properly taken care of. All these indicate that your parents cannot appropriately care for themselves independently. They need help. In such a scenario, think of shifting them to an assisted living facility if you do not get proper support from other sources.
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Unsafe driving behavior
This is probably one of the worst conditions, as it can seriously cause a significant accident and immobility. Suppose you notice that your loved one is becoming a worse driver and there are increased dents or scratches in the car. It indicates that you need to move them to an assisted living facility. Forcing them into an assisted living facility would certainly not make them less independent. Most facilities provide transportation services for your loved ones who wish to go out.
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Trouble preparing healthy meals
Advancing age demands proper nutrition, and lack of it can cause worry for your aging loved one. For example, the inability to cook healthy meals can make your loved ones malnourished and sick when you see your parents having trouble preparing healthy meals for themselves. Then you must understand that they need help, and keeping them at home alone, will no longer be a wise idea. Moving them to an assisted living facility will ensure your loved ones get help with their daily activities. And also get proper healthy meals on time, so their nutritional profile is not compromised.
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Unpredictable mood
Cognitive impairment almost becomes a common problem with age. Forgetfulness and memory loss are all signs of cognitive impairment, which may make your loved one angry or aggressive over trivial issues. Such unpredictable mood swings can cause your loved ones to unknowingly harm themselves, which can be dangerous for the caregivers and your loved ones. Furthermore, you are not always prepared to handle such mood swings and would not be able to keep your loved ones safe. In such situations, moving your loved one to an assisted living facility is always best. The staff at living facilities can handle such aggressive moods and behaviors and keep them safe.
Conclusion
The seven signs mentioned above can help you understand whether your loved ones need to go to an assisted living facility. In case you observe any of the above signs in your parents. If you are still confused and cannot decide, you can contact me here to help you. Overseeing this can cause stress because you can not be in 2 places at one time: taking care of your business and your loved one. So, look into hiring some help or consider an assisted living facility. This will allow you to get some rest and ensure your loved one is properly cared for. Or maybe you want to spend more time with your loved one while taking a break from redundant business tasks like sending emails, returning calls, or organizing files. So, let’s chat about how I can serve you so you can take care of your business and your loved ones.
