How To Know When It’s Time To Consider Assisted Living
It’s a tough decision to make. Many want to keep their loved ones in their own home as long as possible. There are so many factors that go into making this life-changing decision. Are there sure signs to tell you it’s time to ask for help? Often, what it comes down to is, have their needs become too challenging for them and even you as a caregiver to take on alone?
When you begin thinking about assisted living for your loved one, it’s not uncommon to experience guilt and anxiety. However, the growing responsibilities might become too much to handle. You are not alone, and there are many options and resources to put your mind at ease when the time comes to make the decision for placement. Here are a few signs that it might be time to start exploring all the options for your loved one.
Home safety: Does your loved one have dementia or Alzheimer’s? Is it unsafe to leave them? Both of these situations can be dangerous. The probability of falls and injuries increase, and you can’t watch them all the time. If you or they feel unsafe during those times that they are left alone, it is probably time to start looking for more help.
Requires more care: As your loved one ages or if they have a medical condition that is progressing, they might require more care than you can physically do or are qualified for. It also might become increasingly difficult for them to manage activities of daily living. Skills that they could once do independently, like showering, dressing, shopping, cooking, doing laundry and managing medications are now a challenge. Maybe a recent surgery or illness now requires medical attention that you aren’t comfortable handling. All of these situations are signs that it could be time to see what a loving assisted living home can offer.
Social signs: Have you noticed social changes with your loved one? Do they spend days without ever leaving the house? Maybe they were social before and enjoyed regular outings or activities, and now they seem more withdrawn. They might simply need more stimulation or hobbies that center around their abilities. Any quality assisted living center will have many scheduled activities and social times that will help your loved one thrive again!
Around-the-house: If your loved one is still living in their own home, look for obvious signs that they are struggling to care for themselves. Is there a lot of clutter or signs of lax housekeeping? Is the bathroom clean? Take a look around the kitchen and look for expired foods or multiples of the same item. Take a walk around the house, are there signs of neglect? Look for unopened mail or bills piling up. These types of warning signs can sometimes point to cognitive trouble.
There will be signs specific to your situation as well, as no one knows them better than you. The list above is a good starting point to considering assisted living. Fortunately, there are options when it comes to caring for our aging family members.
At Seasons, we pride ourselves on the care that our residents receive. We are a family with a loving home environment. Surrounding our residents with the right people and tools is how we show them that we care. Come visit us in person to get a glimpse of the care your loved one will receive when they become part of our family.