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What is Assisted Living?

Assisted Living is a residential facility that offers assistance with daily activities for people who are able to get around independently. Every community offers different levels of support, so it’s important to understand the level of care your loved one needs now, as well as what health conditions may need further assistance in the future.

Assisted Living communities Nationwide settings vary. In many areas, assisted senior housing could be considered independent living with added services to assist those who need “hands-on” care. Some assisted living services Nationwide are also provided in residential settings. In these settings, seniors receive either a private or shared room in a residential neighborhood home within a senior community.

8 Signs That It’s Time to Move Aging Parents into Assisted Living

It’s a major choice to let your elderly parents move into an assisted living facility. However, a lot of families wait to make a decision until a loved one is in serious medical trouble. You can identify when to consider the transfer by looking for several warning signals.

A charting system will be used by the facility nurse to evaluate the person’s care needs before admission to an assisted living facility. Actives of Daily Living, or ADLs, are the main emphasis of the examination. ADLs are a concept that was created in the 1960s by a physician by the name of Sidney Katz to help professionals evaluate how effectively a senior can carry out daily activities.

The Six Main ADLs Categories Are:

Bathing
Dressing (getting dressed and choosing clothing)
Toileting (going to the bathroom)
Transferring (the ability to get in and out of bed)
Continence
Eating and Nutrition

In addition to the fundamental ADLs, assisted living examines a more comprehensive view of everyday life and the abilities required to live independently. IADLs, or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, are the name given to these additional activities.

The Five Main IADLs Include:

Paying the bills
Cleaning the house
Cooking food for yourself
Being able to transport yourself outside of the house
Socializing

Without the use of ADL and IADL clinical assessment methods, there are frequently less obvious indications that assisted living may enhance the quality of life by offering the required assistance. You’ll feel more at ease if you take these warning signs into account sooner rather than later if you decide to move into an assisted living facility.

The 8 Signs

Personal Hygiene

One of the first things to do for someone who is unwell or has dementia is to take care of their personal hygiene. They don’t take baths as frequently, and when they do, they might not bathe as well as they ought to.

The moment to think about moving to an assisted living facility comes when it is clear that someone can no longer take care of their basic needs.

Eating and Nutrition

Seniors frequently lack the time or resources to go grocery shopping. Additionally, loved ones may find it difficult to cook as they age or lose the desire to prepare for just one person. Senior nutrition is negatively impacted by this.

Nutrition was one of the top three factors that families decided it was time to relocate a loved one into assisted living, according to a 2020 study and survey of around 1,000 caregivers.

Here are a few menu choices that can be regularly found for eating options in assisted living:

Complete nutrition and ingredients that touch on everyday food groups
All-time availability of fresh fruit, wholesome snacks, and wholesome beverages
A variety of options are available on the weekly menus that are posted in advance.
the choice to choose a special meal plan that takes diabetics, low-sodium, high-fiber, kosher, and other diets into mind.

Complete nutrition and ingredients that touch on everyday food groups
All-time availability of fresh fruit, wholesome snacks, and wholesome beverages
A variety of options are available on the weekly menus that are posted in advance.
the choice to choose a special meal plan that takes diabetics, low-sodium, high-fiber, kosher, and other diets into mind.

Loss of Independence

Age catches up with us all in terms of declining eyesight and other physical capabilities, regardless of how vibrant our elderly parents remain. An essential component of the independence of elderly family members is the capacity for careful driving. This is obviously a matter of concern if they have experienced accidents. This may be typical if they are wary of driving in certain situations (like at night), but it’s also restrictive.

Their Personality Is Not The Same

While personality changes occur throughout life for everyone, alterations that occur later in life may suggest a need for professional assistance. Your parents may require special attention if you observe behavioral changes in them, such as greater inactivity than normal or a loss of vigor.

Keep a closer eye on your parents’ well-being if they suddenly shift in mood or stop enjoying activities that they once found enjoyable. Moving your mom into assisted living could be the best course of action if these changes are precursors to future, more significant issues.

Cleaning The House

An indicator of declining mental health may be hoarding or a refusal to discard items. Lax housekeeping practices can indicate declining physical health. It may also be a sign of memory loss (a symptom of a major issue like dementia), sadness, or otherwise declining mental health.

Recent Accidents or Falls

One of the most concerning indications for a family is if a loved one has recently fallen or experienced another type of medical care. Would someone be able to help if your loved one fell? What came out of it? If your loved one was unable to receive the appropriate assistance in a timely manner and the likelihood of another fall grows worse, this may be an indication that you should consider seeking assistance.

Chronic Health Problems

As a person gets older, chronic health concerns will only become worse. Additionally, they can impair the immune system, making a person more susceptible to getting sick more frequently and staying sick longer.

Find a long-term care facility that is staffed and outfitted to handle your loved one’s continuous medical demands if they are in pain and require round-the-clock care.

They’re Forgetting Their Medications

When parents are unable to manage their medicine, it may be time to consider placing them in assisted living. This might get really bad if your parents aren’t taking their medicine properly. Finding outdated or accumulated drugs in your parents’ house is one of the warning signals to watch out for.

This kind of amnesia could indicate your parents’ memory and health are deteriorating. You’ll feel more at ease knowing that your parents will receive the care they require if you start looking for the best assisted living facility.

When Do I Move My Parents Into Assisted Living?

What date do I place my parents in an assisted living facility? It’s difficult to ask yourself that, but some of the warning indicators mentioned above might be able to assist you in finding some answers and make the process go more smoothly. If you have any additional queries about assisted living facilities, please get in touch with us, and we’ll be pleased to assist you!

Ageless Care Solutions is aware that the physical challenges we will confront while providing care for the elderly will not be our greatest test. Finding a method to make challenging jobs as fulfilling and empowering as you can is what it really boils down to.