Is it Time for Assisted Living?

As children, it was our parents and grandparents who were there to make sure we were taken care of and the ones who supported us the most. It is also a fact that there will come a time in life when these roles become reversed and it is our elders that now need our love, support, and care. It is a phase in life that can leave anyone feeling overwhelmed, experiencing strong emotions and feelings.

When the time comes that your senior loved one can no longer live safely alone at home, for whatever reason, it is time to intervene and advocate for their needs, health, safety, and wellbeing. The decision to move your loved one into an assisted living facility can be emotionally draining on the entire family. There may be those who feel that you are “putting” your family member away, but the opposite is quite true. Seniors who reside in an assisted living community are surrounded by other adults their age, and are transitioning through this stage of life as well. Here, they have access to an entire community of support, as well as a 24/7 on staff care team to ensure they are safe and that their needs are always being met.

According to the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, there are currently more than one million senior adults living in assisted living communities across the US. With access to 24 hour care, an assisted living facility is extremely beneficial for senior adults who need daily assistance with things like housekeeping or meals, but do not require skilled nursing care.

How do you know it is time for assisted living?

When it becomes obvious that your loved one can no longer live at home, the decisions you are forced to make can be overwhelming and stressful. It’s important to be aware of the signs that the time is right to move your senior family member into an assisted living facility for their own safety and well being.

A sudden downturn in health, or an accident like a broken hip may speed up this decision, but it can often be the case that there is no single clear sign that it is time. There are, however, obvious clues that let you know it is time for a change in living arrangements for your senior loved one. We’ve listed some of these signs below to help you with the decision making process.

– Frequent falls

Frequent falls are a clear sign that it is no longer safe for your loved one to live alone. There is always the possibility that they may be stuck for quite some time until help arrives, or they may not be able to call for help at all. Assisted living facilities provide 24/7 emergency call services for immediate help in case of a fall.

– Obvious deterioration in health

It is probably time to give serious consideration to assisted living if you see that the health of your senior loved one is in decline. The move may need to happen sooner, rather than later, if you notice they are taking longer to recover from an illness or injury, which could be a sign of a weakening immune system. Speak with your loved one and their doctor about your concerns. Access to 24 hour care and assistance can actually help improve their health. It’s important to include your loved one in this decision if they are cognitively able to understand the situation.

– Problems with managing medications

If your senior loved one is frequently skipping medications, it’s vital to find out why. Are they forgetting to take medications as prescribed, or is it a result of financial strain caused by the cost of their prescriptions? If cost is the concern, a Medicare supplemental insurance program can help. On the other hand, if they are forgetting to take medications, this is a dangerous warning sign that it may be time for assisted living. The facility has licensed care staff who ensure medications are being taken as prescribed and on time.

– Problems with daily activities

When your senior loved one is no longer maintaining their home, or actively taking care of things like cleaning, and doing the laundry, this could be an obvious sign that they are in need of assistance with daily activities.

Are  they still safely cooking for themselves or are they mainly eating take out or frozen meals? Has there been a significant change in their weight recently? Rapid changes in weight, either gaining or losing weight, can be a sign that they are not able to properly prepare food for themselves, or a clear indicator of serious medical issues. You should speak with your loved one about their weight change, and address these concerns with their doctor.

Is your loved one maintaining personal hygiene or have you noticed a new body odor that wasn’t there before? This may be a clear sign that your loved one is having trouble bathing and maintaining their personal hygiene.This not only puts them at risk for infections, it can also increase the likelihood of mental and emotional decline.

All of these can be clear signs that your senior loved one is no longer able to live independently. An assisted living community provides seniors with the assistance they need to properly perform daily activities that they may struggle to manage on their own at home.

– Mobility issues

Is your senior loved one experiencing new or worsening issues moving around the house or going up and down the stairs without assistance? This may be a clear indicator that your loved one needs to move to a facility that can help with mobility issues for their own safety.

– Getting lost or becoming disoriented

Getting lost or confused when away from home is often a warning sign of dementia. Wandering without a clear sense of where they are going should be a big cause for concern. It’s important to speak with both your senior family member and their doctor about these concerns right away. An assisted living facility offering memory care ensures they are safe and helps ease their anxiety and confusion.

– Changes in mood or behavior

A major change in mood or sudden aggressive behavior may be another warning sign of confusion or dementia. Even if your senior loved one is able to live independently, but are often depressed or isolating themselves, an assisted living community can really help to improve their mood and feelings of self worth.

It’s important to have an open and honest conversation about why your loved one feels sad so often, or why they are choosing to spend so much time alone. Getting to the root of the problem can help make the decision whether or not to it is time to move into an assisted living community.

– Caregiver burnout
The physical health repercussions of being a full time caregiver are shocking. According to the 2020 AARP Caregiving in the U.S. survey, more than half of the caregivers surveyed reported being diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions. Being a full time caregiver should not come at the expense of your own health, and serious health issues may be a strong indicator that it is time to find an assisted living facility for your senior loved one.

Being a caregiver takes a mental and physical toll. As a full time caregiver, you may find yourself completely exhausted and overwhelmed, making it hard to provide the proper care your senior loved one needs. Not only does this full time care place a lot of burden on the caregiver, the stress can cause harm to the senior both physically and mentally and jeopardize the relationship between the senior and caregiver in the long term.

Conclusion

The realization that someone you love needs full time assistance with daily living can be stressful. Understanding that you are not able to provide the care they need can be hard too. If, after reading the indicators above, you feel that it is time to consider other living arrangements, then it is time to have a talk with your senior loved one about their options. You should include their doctor and a financial advisor in these conversations as well. Doing so allows both you and your loved one to better understand the living choices available to them.

Assisted living provides the support, safety and care needed while preserving the senior’s independence. At Adams Farm, we provide a wide variety of individualized personal care needs. We help seniors who need assistance with their activities of daily living, medication management support, and supervision in our around the clock Assisted Living community. We are dedicated to providing compassionate care in a manner that nurtures the

physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all those we serve.

Schedule a tour today to see for yourself just how amazing our senior community is!