As our loved ones begin to age, there comes a time when they need to decide whether they will continue aging in place or if they’d like to transition to a retirement community.
While many resources are available for at-home care, older adults who need more than basic assistance with daily tasks may benefit from an assisted living environment.
If you’re wondering whether it may be time for your loved one to move into an assisted living community, we’ve gathered a few signs that may indicate whether such a move would be the right choice for their current circumstances.
To learn more, keep reading below.
- Difficulty managing day-to-day activities and chores
One of the first indications that an older adult could benefit from moving into an assisted living community is if they cannot complete specific day-to-day tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, and essential home maintenance.
As adults age, many begin to suffer from pain in their muscles and joints, issues with eyesight, hand-eye coordination, disorientation, and other similar problems. These health issues can make household tasks like vacuuming, making the bed, doing laundry, and handling cooking utensils difficult and potentially dangerous.
While many older ones have these chores looked after by at-home caretakers, assisted living homes like Seasons Retirement have on-site staff available 24/7. If an accident occurs and a mess needs to be cleaned immediately, your loved one won’t have to wait until their cleaner arrives the following day to look after it.
- Worsening health and/or medical conditions
One of the main aspects to consider when deciding whether it’s time for assisted living is the state of your loved one’s health. Most older adults will gain at least one chronic health condition in their later years, such as arthritis or, more seriously, heart disease.
Suppose your family member’s health is beginning to deteriorate to the point where they need regular medication administration, regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments and similar services. In that case, it may be time to help them transition into an environment where they can access medical care daily.
- Poor hygiene
If you’ve noticed that your loved one is beginning to have issues with their hygiene and personal appearance, this may indicate that they’re not bathing or washing as often as they should. Improper hygiene could be caused by a lack of motivation to look after their body or a consequence resulting from the inability to look after their body by themselves.
Not only is poor hygiene an issue when your loved one is socializing with others, but it can also be detrimental to their health, making them more susceptible to bacterial infections, skin conditions and other issues caused by unhygienic conditions.
Moving into an assisted living community will give your loved one access to daily help with bathing, laundry, and other hygienic practices from an on-call care aid. Therefore, if you’ve noticed that your loved one’s lack of hygiene is becoming a trend, it may be time to consider changing their living situation.
- Issues with memory and disorientation
Living alone can be hazardous for older adults living with memory loss and disorientation. If left alone, these issues can lead to your loved one getting lost and wandering, suffering injuries that result from falls, and other similar dangers.
Not only can disorientation be detrimental physically, but dealing with such problems alone may make older adults feel unsafe in their homes.
Issues with memory loss are common amongst older adults, but they can also be a sign that dementia or Alzheimer’s may be setting in. If these problems are beginning to arise for your loved one, it may be time to consider a home that specializes in memory care.
- Lacking proper nutrition
Many older adults may need more energy to go grocery shopping or more resources to complete their shopping like being allowed to drive or having access to public transit. As mentioned above, they may also find preparing meals challenging.
This lack of nutrition can often result in older adults not getting the nutrients in their diet that they need to maintain good health.
However, by moving to an assisted living community, older adults won’t need to worry about preparing meals or purchasing groceries, as on-site staff will take care of all meal planning and preparation.
- They seem disenchanted with daily life.
Many older adults struggle with joy and personal contentment as they age, as they are often no longer able to engage in specific tasks and activities that once filled their daily routines.
These feelings can cause older adults to lack happiness in their day-to-day life, occasionally leading to more serious issues like self-isolation, anxiety, and depression.
However, by moving to assisted living care, older adults are given many opportunities to engage in activities that can help enrich their lives. They’ll also be provided with many resources to assist with their mental health.
From gaining a broader social circle to having fewer responsibilities, they’ll have a chance to focus on themselves and find a new direction for this next phase of their life.
Conclusion – is it time for assisted living?
If any of the above signs currently apply to your loved one’s circumstances, it may be time to consider assisted living as an alternative to their current situation.
While moving to an assisted care home may seem like a big adjustment, your loved one will receive much more consistent and streamlined help in their daily life, from chores and meal preparation to medical assistance.
By having more hands-on care available, your older family member can spend their well-earned retirement years with fewer responsibilities and instead focus on their health, family, and personal contentment.
