While it can be difficult to decide if your loved ones should move into an assisted living community, the move can be beneficial for not only your loved ones, but for you and your family members as well. To determine when is it time for assisted living, there are some factors that indicate your loved ones will fare better in assisted living, surrounded by medical professionals and receive around-the-clock care. If you notice any of these signs listed below, it may be time to raise the subject of assisted living to your loved ones.
Deteriorating Health
Find that your loved ones’ health is decreasing each day? According to a report by the National Council on Aging, about 80% of older adults are diagnosed with at least one form of chronic diseases. The leading chronic health conditions in the United States are diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Taking care of your loved ones who suffer from chronic illnesses can be extremely challenging and may even affect your mental health in the long run. Therefore, we recommend leaving it to the professionals and allow your loved ones to be treated by a team of medical personnel and caregivers.
Self-Neglect
As we grow older, it becomes harder for us to perform certain mundane responsibilities such as grooming and personal hygiene. Your loved ones may have a hard time in getting in and out of the shower or even forgetting to clean themselves. If you start to notice changes in their appearance like dirty fingernails, messy hair and unpleasant body odor, it should be a sign of concern. Other forms of self-neglect include unsanitary living conditions, inability to take medications or feed themselves, and incapability to protect themselves against safety hazards.
Social Isolation
For loved ones who are living alone, they have a higher risk of being in great danger and developing both physical and mental conditions. In fact, social isolation is commonly associated with high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, cognitive decline, and depression. As such, by placing your loved ones in an assisted living community, you’re making sure that they have a strong support network and a wide variety of activities to participate in. These activities are specially designed to provide an opportunity for residents to mingle around and form meaningful connections that help cure loneliness.
Household Hazards
In the United States, falls are the leading cause of injuries for older adults, and most of them occur inside the home. Your loved ones may be susceptible to falls due to a number of reasons such as poor eyesight, poor hearing, and poor physical condition. If the house is cluttered or brimming with safety hazards, your loved ones would injure themselves eventually. Lack of security features, poor lighting, and air pollutants can also be considered household hazards and are a source of concern. Aside from being safe, your loved ones will live a better quality of life in an assisted living community.
