The health of older adults can be a significant concern for their children. Watching your aging parents having difficulty in completing their daily chores, mismanaging medications, or feeling lonely can be distressing. To ensure their safety and well-being, consider moving them to an assisted living facility.
The decision can be emotionally challenging, especially if a person is resistant to the idea. But offering personalised care can help them better cope with their lives and situations.
Often, people don’t know whether to place older adults in assisted living or a nursing home. It is thus essential to check for the signs that your parent needs a nursing home or assisted living.
While nursing homes provide 24/7 medical care for complex health conditions, assisted living offers supervision to older adults. They basically get support to perform daily activities, manage medications, and take meals on time.
Moreover, assisted living provides a hub for like-minded individuals for bonding. That way, your old parents can overcome isolation and improve their social lives.
But when would you consider the transition from independent living to assisted living? Well, there will be signs.
In this blog, you will explore 11 signs it might be time for assisted living. Also, it will discuss how assisted living can improve their quality of life, and when it is inappropriate.
What is Assisted Living and Who Is It For?
Before diving into assisted living signs, let’s first understand the concept of assisted living.
It is a type of long-term care that assists and supports individuals with daily activities. These activities include bathing, dressing, and managing medications.
Assisted living offers a balance between individual care and independence for older adults. When they reach a point that they can’t live alone but don’t need nursing home-level support, assisted living becomes a suitable option.
It offers a community where older adults can socialize with like-minded people. Since every elderly person has unique needs, assisted living provides individualized care to meet them. These can include support with daily activities or offer a medical plan.
Overall, assisted living focuses on improving the quality of life of elderly people by promoting well-being, safety, and independence.
Who is assisted living for?
Assisted living is primarily for older adults who cannot live alone and require help with basic health needs. Also, it can be helpful for people with disabilities who want to live independently but need assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication.
Individuals will show signs of care, depending on which their children or caregivers can choose. Usually, people who benefit from such a living facility include:
- Individuals looking for protection against falls or emergencies.
- People struggling with activities of daily living (ADLs) but not ready to move to a nursing home.
- Residents seeking a social life and willing to take part in relevant activities.
- Older adults with an early stage of dementia or Alzheimer’s who are seeking thorough supervision.
11 Signs It Might Be Time for Assisted Living
After learning about the concept, you may be wondering when it is time to move to assisted living. Well, sometimes it becomes difficult for the person to accept that they require support. The basic chores that they could do easily are now becoming a challenge for them.
When you find your senior loved one in such a distressful situation, talk to them gently about assisted living. While many older adults may like the idea, some may be resistant to it. You need to make them understand that they can enjoy their autonomy in a supportive environment, allowing an easy transition.
Also, experiencing accidental falls or ignoring medications are signs that it might be time for assisted living. Your elderly parent, a relative, or anyone in your circle who faces challenges with daily tasks can also benefit from assisted living.
In addition to these, there are 11 signs it might be time for assisted living. These are as follows:
1. Poor Nutrition
Elderly people, living at home, lack the energy or resources to grocery shop. It is also common for them to lose interest in cooking. As a result, it leads to poor nutrition, causing unintentional weight loss.
Even older adults with health conditions require specialized low-salt or salt-free diets. Sometimes it becomes a challenge for these people to prepare their meals. Such scenarios are essential signs for assisted living.
The setup allows individuals to enjoy nutritious meals without the hassle of cooking. Since it is a community, your older parents or relatives can dine with other elderly people and have a delightful time together.
2. Having trouble completing ADLs
Struggling with daily activities is the clearest sign of the need for assisted living. The daily activities include bathing, dressing, and using the toilet. As people age, they often have difficulty performing these activities.
It can be due to their low mobility, body pain, or simply because they don’t feel like doing it. In such circumstances, the elderly person needs assistance. And you can provide that assistance through personal care in a safe environment.
Professionals will be there to support them in performing these responsibilities. They will supervise them and allow a degree of independence, ensuring they don’t feel like a burden to others.
3. Changes in Hygiene
Older adults may lose interest in personal upkeep. Dirty or broken fingernails, unclean clothing, body odor, and greasy hair are signs of poor hygiene. These signs may indicate when to move to assisted living.
The facility’s staff will create individual plans focused on overall hygiene. For instance, if you need support with bathing, a caregiver will be present. They will provide direct help with the activity.
Also, they will help you establish a routine so you can feel confident and safe performing the activity. With constant supervision, the elderly person can gradually maintain their hygiene.
4. Forgetfulness and confusion
Forgetfulness and confusion are common among older adults. Often, these become apparent indicators of early-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s. From forgetting to eat to misplacing essential items, these issues can be a genuine concern for older adults.
These are significant signs that the elderly need assisted living. The stress and panic that people have with forgetting things can impact their mental health. That’s why seeking assisted living is a good option.
It will provide a care plan that allows elderly people to practice routine tasks. For instance, the community can help you establish a routine for taking your medicines regularly. Once you adopt the routine, taking your medicines on time will become manageable.
5. Depression or social isolation
Aging parents often withdraw from social activities. As they don’t meet their friends or participate in conversations, it leads to depression and loneliness. These are signs your parent needs assisted living.
Since social activities play an important role in shaping emotional well-being, it is essential to engage in activities. Living alone in their homes can aggravate their loneliness. Hence, assisted living staff can help residents build social bonds.
Through interactive sessions, such facilities can help seniors gain the motivation to pursue their hobbies. Also, it encourages them to visit their favorite places.
6. Frequent falls or injuries
The older you get, the more you face mobility challenges. It can lead to frequent falls, causing injuries and low self-confidence. Once you start experiencing such signs, it’s time for assisted living.
Offering a safe environment, professionals will support in every way possible. The living spaces are designed to minimize the risk of potential hazards.
With their constant support, you can get up from your seat. Also, skid-free floors will help prevent falls and serious injury.
7. Difficulty managing medications
Elderly parents or older adults find it overwhelming to manage their medications. They may forget to take medicines on time, which can result in missed doses or accidental overdoses. Such practices are signs that your parent needs assisted living.
These settings offer a proper medication plan tailored to the elder’s individual needs. The professionals who are in charge of taking care of your parents will also monitor their health regularly.
With such thorough care, your parent or any senior can prevent skipping doses. Also, they can help you sort out your confusion about taking a medicine at a particular time, ensuring overall well-being.
8. Trouble keeping up with bills
It could be a warning sign and often stems from memory loss, forgetfulness, or cognitive decline. Usually, elders fall prey to financial scammers. Their lack of understanding of finances or difficulty in balancing the checkbook can come in the way of managing their bills.
It is in such circumstances that people consider assisted living. The facilities ensure that elders don’t have to juggle multiple bills.
The facilities that offer such care have fixed costs, making financial planning easier for elders. Also, the professionals supervise elders’ finances and, upon noticing any change, they speak with the advisors or families.
9. Neglecting home maintenance
Elderly people with mobility issues may find it challenging to maintain their homes. Even their caregivers may not be able to keep the house as clean as they would. Lack of maintenance can lead to costly home repairs or make it unsafe for elders to stay in the home.
For instance, you may not be able to dust furniture due to your chronic arthritis. Dust deposition on furniture can lead to respiratory problems, further complicating your health.
To ensure good health, moving to an assisted care facility would be helpful. As an older adult, you get to stay in a hygienic environment where professionals will create a medical plan to manage your chronic condition.
10. Doctor’s Recommendation
Besides family members’ and caregivers’ advice, medical evaluation is also an important point of consideration for assisted living.
Even if you miss the warning signs, the family doctor will pinpoint the issues that the elderly person is experiencing. It can be their difficulty in performing basic daily activities or frequent falls.
Once the doctor confirms assisted living, the senior you’ve been caring for will understand its significance. As a result, it will encourage them to move to the facility without any resistance.
11. Caregiver stress or burnout
Caregiving can be overwhelming for family members or someone you’ve hired for the role. Between managing the elderly’s daily tasks and medications, these people are the last to notice their own fatigue or burnout.
When caregiving responsibilities become overbearing, they can reach a breaking point. As a result, both the elderly and the caregiver can find themselves in a conflict, leading to increased stress.
When you experience rising stress, it’s time to move your elderly parent to assisted living. It will take the caregiving responsibility along with a proper medication plan, leaving you with other tasks like maintaining the house while they are away.
How Assisted Living Improves Quality of Life?
Meeting the basic needs of older adults can become overwhelming at times. Since you have to juggle other responsibilities too, providing constant support to the elderly can be difficult. In such a scenario, assisted living may seem a viable option.
Offering a safe space, assisted living provides trained professionals who focus on each elderly person’s concerns. From supporting their daily activities to creating a medical plan, the space does it all.
Here’s how assisted living can improve the quality of life of older adults:
- Provide emotional support: Loneliness and stress are signs that it might be time for assisted living. Hence, professionals create a positive environment through activities such as music and art to manage stress, loneliness, and other emotional challenges.
- Offer nutritious dining options: Most elders have specialized diets tailored to unique health conditions. For instance, an older adult with diabetes requires a sugar-free diet. Assisted living helps prepare such meals along with social dining experiences, reducing the risk of health hazards and isolation.
- Ensure personal care: Many elderly people have difficulty with basic tasks such as bathing and dressing. In an assisted care unit, professionals will ensure personal care. They will support these individuals to perform the activities, providing a sense of autonomy and safety.
- Maintenance-free living: Housekeeping, laundry, and yard work can be a daunting task for elderly people. Their low mobility and arthritis issues can become a concern. In assisted living, they don’t have to worry about these responsibilities. They can focus their energy and time on improving their quality of life.
When Is Assisted Living Not Appropriate?
While most seniors benefit from assisted living, some may not find it a suitable option. For instance, an elderly person who’s extremely violent can find it hard to adjust to the residents of assisted living.
In such cases, as a responsible caregiver/family member, you need to seek alternatives, perhaps by transferring them to a nursing home with a psychiatry ward. Other than behavioral issues, assisted living is not appropriate when:
- The individual has a medical condition that is progressing to a severe stage, like cancer.
- An elder with advanced Alzheimer’s has the risk of wandering off from an assisted care facility.
- Individuals requiring extensive wound care or under ventilation.
- Elderly people with severe mobility issues.
Finding the Right Assisted Living For Elderly People
After learning about the signs you need assisted living and its benefits, finding the right facility can be helpful.
The options of such facilities are rising to cater to personal needs. But no matter your focus, having a safe environment is everyone’s top priority. To ensure you or your loved one is making the right choice, here are some tips to find an assisted living facility:
- Understand the needs: Determine the type of care you’re looking for. Do you require personalized care for memory loss, or do you need support to manage everyday tasks? Depending on these situations, you can assess when it’s time for assisted living and when it’s not.
- Amenities & activities: Check the kind of programs the facility offers. Elderly people who live in isolation can benefit from social activities. Consider a facility that provides activities such as music, art, or games to boost interactivity and reduce social withdrawal.
- Affordability & budget: Consider the facility’s budget and fee structure. Assess your budget and filter the options and their services that align with your interests.
Seek Assisted Living with Reliable Geriatric Care from One Health Medical Group
As a responsible child of an aging parent, if they are exhibiting confusion or struggling to manage everyday tasks, don’t wait until a crisis occurs. Look for these 11 signs that it might be time for assisted living, and get the help you need.
Assisted living should focus on primary healthcare for older adults and address their concerns. From analyzing their chronic conditions to evaluating their mental state, the facility should address it all.
At One Health Medical Group, we offer geriatric care that forms the highest quality of assisted living for older adults. Our facility in Hackensack, NJ, has doctors who specialize in treating conditions such as dementia, depression, and arthritis.
Along with personalizing a medication plan, we also support individuals in enhancing their cognitive abilities and addressing memory concerns. Our goal is to offer them the highest quality of life through effective personal care and treatment.
Check out our geriatric primary care to provide a secure environment where older adults can thrive and regain independence.
FAQs
1. When to move from independent to assisted living?
When you or your elderly family member struggles with performing daily activities like bathing or dressing, consider moving from independent to assisted living. You can also seek assisted living to effectively manage medications or when cognitive function declines.
2. What should you say to someone who’s moving to assisted living?
When someone is moving to assisted care, offering empathy is essential. You can reassure the elderly person that they will gain independence and have access to personal care, thereby improving their quality of life.
3. Can I move my disabled father to assisted living?
Yes, if your father is disabled and cannot perform any activities on his own or make decisions, you can move him to assisted living. However, if he’s resistant to the idea, show him empathy and make him understand the importance of shifting to such a facility.
4. What are the signs of independent living for seniors?
There are multiple signs of independent living for seniors. These include social withdrawal, constant overwhelming feelings to maintain the home, and inability to carry out basic daily activities like bathing, dressing up, or managing medicines.
5. Does assisted living offer personal care?
Yes, assisted living offers personal care, including assistance with ADLs such as dressing and bathing. Also, it creates a positive environment where individuals will get specialized meals and medication management.