8 Signs It Might Be Time For Assisted Living
When your loved ones can’t take care of themselves, it’s time to look for an assisted living facility. Here’s when you know they need help.
As much as you want to take care of your loved one for as long as possible, sometimes it becomes more than you can handle.
So it might be that time when you have to pull the plug to take them to an assisted living facility such as Vivanteliving-newport-center.
But when is the right time to pull the plug? To help you out, below are eight signs it might be time for assisted living.
How Do You Know When It’s Time For Assisted Living?
Here are the signs you need to look for when it’s time to let your loved one get professional care:
1. Can’t Handle Daily Tasks
When you are healthy and strong, accomplishing daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, dressing, and shopping seems simple. But you need a plethora of skills to execute them correctly.
Doctors, social workers, and other geriatric professionals evaluate these as part of the functional assessment, and if you can’t perform them correctly, you are deemed dysfunctional.
If your loved ones can no longer appropriately do laundry by themselves, cook for themselves, or dress, it’s time to think about taking them to an assisted living facility.
2. The Medical Condition Is Worsening
Has your loved one been having a health condition that is worsening by the day? This should be a trigger to get them to an assisted living facility.
The reason for this is as they continue aging, the worse it gets as other medical conditions such as dementia and congestive heart failure crop up. This means that over time, your loved one will require constant medical attention.
Frequent falls and slips are other medical signs that it’s time to take your loved one to an assisted living facility.
Mobility is a common problem among seniors. So if your loved one has had frequent falls and slips, it’s time to get them to a facility where they can be monitored, and there will be people to help.
3. There Are Noticeable Physical Changes
Does your loved one look thinner than usual? They might be suffering from depression, cancer, or any other condition.
Have you noticed that they have put on some weight? This could be due to diabetes, dementia, or any other issue slowing down their metabolism. They also might be indulging in a lot of food than they should.
To have peace of mind that your loved one is safe, consider taking them to a facility where there will be people monitoring what they eat and regularly taking medical tests to determine their medical state.
4. Problem Managing Finances
Are there plenty of unopened bills, mail, letters from banks, insurers, or creditors? You have a reason to worry. It’s just a matter of time before they miss making a payment that might drive them into financial ruin.
You also have a reason to worry if you find too many thank you messages from charities sent to your loved one. This is because it’s a sign that they have dementia.
It’s common for charities to hit up givers over and over. And if your loved one can’t remember they have already donated, they might keep on donating. This can ruin them financially.
The many messages might also be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease, or they might be falling for scammers.
To protect your loved ones, take them to an assisted living facility.
5. The Kitchen Is In Ruins
People spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so going through it will tell you a lot about them.
Are there obvious fire signs in the kitchen, such as charred stove knobs, singed pot bottoms, or burned potholders? Your loved one might be a minute away from a catastrophic fire accident.
While in the kitchen, take a look at the fridge. What’s its condition? Is it organized? If there is mold, sour milk that is still used, you have a reason to worry.
You also should be worried if you find multiple bottles of ketchup, more cereal than you can consume in a year, and multiple items. This shows that your loved one can’t remember that they already bought a particular item.
If you come across any of the above, it might be time to take your loved one somewhere they won’t have to worry about what to and not to buy. They also won’t be required to start a fire.
6. Is Having Hygiene Problems
Have you noticed that your loved one is no longer taking good care of themselves than they used to? If you can pick a body odor when you get close to them, your loved ones have a problem bathing, which puts them at the risk of infections.
Self-care problems are a telltale sign that your loved one is not okay living by themselves. So you should get them somewhere they will be cleaned or reminded to take a shower.
7. Goes Days Without Leaving The House
It’s normal for introverts to go for days without leaving the house. But if your loved one was a social person and now they are always indoors, chances are they are scared to drive or uncomfortable taking part in social events they once loved. They also might be depressed.
Have an honest conversation about their change in character and behavior and get to the root of the problem.
If they are having mobility issues or they feel they don’t have people they can have fun with, consider taking them to an assisted living facility. There will be people to help them move around and other residents of a similar age they can engage and have fun with.
8. Forgets To Take Their Medicine
It’s normal for seniors to take medications for various conditions and for everyone to forget to take their medicine once in a while.
While this is the case, it can be a problem if your loved one is going for days or weeks without taking their prescribed medications. This can easily lead to their death, especially when they forget to take vital medications such as diabetes medications.
All seniors need to diligently take their prescribed medicine regimens to maintain their health. So if your loved one is suffering from memory loss and isn’t taking their medications the way the doctor has advised them, it’s time to take them to a facility where they will be reminded and even guided.
As you can see, there are lots of things that pinpoint the need for assisted living for your loved ones. So make sure to keep an eye on these signs as this might be a life or death situation.
