Some useful information I thought you might enjoy.
When to consider assisted living
It has been our experience that too many families wait until there is a crisis to consider assisted living for their loved ones. When a crisis happens, the senior is usually frail and unable to take advantage of all the benefits assisted living has to offer.
Many families tell us they wished they would have moved their loved ones sooner.
What are some signs that it is time to seriously consider assisted living?
Difficulty performing daily activities:
- Wearing the same clothes multiple days
- Bathing less frequently – personal hygiene suffering
- Not bothering to cook for one person, skipping meals
- Laundry and housekeeping becoming a burden
- Spends time in only a few rooms in the house
Memory loss:
- Repeating questions or statements, multiple phone calls with the same questions
- Wandering away from home
- Trusting strangers, falling for scams, becoming the victim of elder abuse
- Forgetting to do things they once did like paying bills and balancing the checkbook
- Leaving the stove on, frequently misplacing items
Medication concerns:
- Forgetting to take medications – resulting in missed dosages – or taking more than required
- Running out of medications – or not properly ordering medications from the pharmacy
- A lot of expired medications around
Lack of Socialization:
- Losing touch with friends and isolating themselves
- Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed such as going to church
- Showing signs of depression, for example sleeping a lot or crying
- Loss of spouse, relatives, and long-time friends
Fear:
- Becoming increasingly paranoid or fearful of others
- Afraid to be alone at night
- Becoming more dependent on family members
- Feel neighborhood is not as safe as it used to be
Safety concerns:
- Stairs and steps make it more likely to fall
- No help nearby if fall or emergency occurs
- Difficulty getting in and out of tub or on and off of toilet
- Increase in ‘stuff’ around house causing fall risks
Information from www.seniorlivingexperts.com