When Should You Consider Assisted Living for Your Loved Ones

Transitioning a loved one into assisted living can be difficult for everyone involved. For many, however, the most difficult decision isn’t if but when to make the move. Sometimes loved ones require a level of care you’re unable to provide, and because of that their quality of life can suffer unless the decision is made to move them into an assisted living facility. A broken hip, worsening medical issues, and other red flags may quicken the decision-making process. While there’s no single obvious sign to look out for, there will be some clues along the way to alert you of when a new living arrangement may be needed.

What is the difference in Independent Living and Assisted Living

Independent living communities provide seniors the opportunity to enjoy life without sacrificing autonomy. These facilities offer a range of social and physical activities, such as group trips, workouts, and other events that allow residents to form meaningful relationships while promoting mental stimulation and overall well-being with age. As mentioned in this article found at www.chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/new-jersey/brick/, assisted living also helps the elderly form new friendships.

Assisted living facilities, like the Clover Group Community, are specifically established to make day-to-day tasks easier for those who may be facing physical, emotional, or health challenges.

Assisted living communities provide a home-like setting for seniors who generally aren’t in need of the advanced medical care found in nursing homes or hospitals; those with chronic conditions that require some monitoring are typically perfect candidates. Residents’ needs are tended to, such as help with bathing, dressing, and other daily activities.

Residents of assisted living facilities enjoy freshly cooked meals in a communal dining room, providing a great opportunity for socialization and interaction. Depending on the specific facility, various services and amenities may be available to residents with private apartments or shared rooms. From location to resident type, there is an immense range of options that can lead you to your ideal fit! It’s important to do an online search for assisted living near me to find a list of facilities nearby so that you can still connect with your local area. From the results you’re shown online you can make a decision on which one appeals most and find those that have been reviewed positively by a large number of people, this way you’ll have a higher likelihood of enjoying your new living situation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at 2018’s end, there were 28,900 assisted living communities actively operating in the United States. Such facilities come with a diverse range of amenities that help elderly individuals manage their daily life effortlessly. Assisted living homes provide much-needed support for seniors who might find themselves needing assistance from time to time.

Concerns with Senior Adults that Distinguish when Assisted Living is Needed

As we age, our physical and mental health can change drastically. For seniors who are struggling to maintain independence in their daily lives, assisted living facilities who provide consumer directed Care is a safe and supportive environment that not only promotes safety but also helps seniors for their best quality of life. Assisted living is a great option for seniors struggling to manage their daily activities and can provide the care and assistance needed for them to age in place gracefully. With a wide variety of services, amenities, and levels of care available, there’s an assisted living facility that’s right for you or your loved one. Here are some specific symptoms to look for that may give you an indication that your loved one needs to seriously consider an assisted living or even a nursing home option.

Recent Falls and Mobility Issues

If your loved one has trouble walking, getting up and downstairs, or other mobility issues, it’s just a matter of time until they fall and seriously injure themselves. This can be particularly dangerous if they’re by themselves and unable to get up until someone arrives to help. Assisted living will help you avoid this situation, ensure their safety, and give them the freedom and independence of not feeling trapped inside their home.

Monitoring for fall-risk patients

Falls are more common among seniors, particularly those living in assisted care facilities. To help keep these residents and their families safe, many facilities offer monitoring services. These include installing security cameras to detect movement around the residence and using wearable sensors and monitors that can alert workers if a resident has fallen or is detected wandering unsupervised. These technologies provide peace of mind for families and allow residents to maintain their independence with added protection.

Trouble Completing Daily Activities

Can your loved ones do their laundry, take out the trash, and cook for themselves? Trouble completing these activities of daily living is another obvious sign it may be time to consider the different senior housing options such as assisted living or full-time care. Living somewhere that handles the cooking, cleaning, and other daily chores can ensure your loved one is properly cared for and give him or her more time for hobbies and socializing.

Worsening Health Problems

Declining health is obviously a concern we all face as we age. Making sense of the changes in our bodies can be difficult and worrisome, especially when it comes to serious conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Even relatively common issues such as arthritis can create difficulties and have long-term consequences.

We also need to watch out for deteriorating cardiovascular systems, since this brings its own set of concerns even beyond the external physical effects. It’s important to take steps to maintain our health and wellbeing during this process, both mentally and physically. As scary as it can be to confront the complexities of living with disabilities or degenerative disease, knowledge is power, and understanding our situation is key.

If your loved one’s health is on the decline and a major concern, it may be time to consider making the move to an assisted living facility.

Do assisted living facilities take Alzheimers and dementia patients?

Yes, many assisted living facilities specialize in providing care to those with Alzheimer’s and dementia – for example, you’ll find a Dementia Care Program at Golden House Assisted Living, and other facilities may also offer something similar. The facility staff will be trained to provide special care and support to those with cognitive impairments. Additionally, the facility may be equipped with special monitoring systems that track the health of residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s and alert staff if there is a potential problem or emergency. Assisted living facilities also provide therapeutic activities designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

However, many assisted living facilities do not have actual Alzheimers or dementia safety capabilities. Once a patient has made gets to a point where they are a risk for other’s safety or wander off, they will work with the family on having them transferred to a nursing facility. Nursing facilities, or nursing homes, are far more capable of keeping their loved one safe with higher safety capabilities such as locked entrances and full time monitoring capabilities.

Nursing homes provide a safe and secure environment for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia, with dedicated staff trained to meet their unique needs.

Poor Hygiene and Eating Habits

Has your loved one been gaining or losing weight and mostly eating frozen meals or takeout? Have you noticed a decline in their hygiene and how they take care of themselves? These are all signs they may no longer be okay living by themselves. An assisted living facility will make sure they eat properly and are properly bathed and groomed every day, which will improve their quality of life.

Extreme loneliness

Some elderly do not have family that lives nearby or have very busy family members who are unable to visit often. Loneliness can be a very serious result that leads elderly down a path of depression, anxiety, and even failed health. Senior living facilities have activities, programs, and staff that can help elderly with loneliness. There are many people in the same boat they are in that they can connect with and interact.

Is your loved one showing any of the signs above? If you’ve noticed any of these signs in your loved one, it may be time to start looking for an assisted living facility that will work best for your loved one. Unfortunately, millions of aging adults suffer from one or more of these symptoms each day, leading to potential accidents and a poor quality of life. If you’re concerned for an aging loved one’s health, safety, or happiness, assisted living can help. When the time is right, sit down with your loved one and have a discussion.

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