If your mom or parent is starting to experience
difficulty doing everyday tasks, you should consider getting them additional
help. Many seniors are choosing to hire caregivers and stay in their own homes.
However, others like the idea of moving into a facility that
allows them to retain some independence while also offering the level of
care they need. If your mom or parent fall into this latter category, you may
want to consider assisted living facilities for them.
If you are trying to decide if a residential home
is right for your mom or parent, there are some important reasons to consider.
You should determine how your parent feels about their safety, home
maintenance, isolation, transportation, and the amount of help he or she
needs.
1. Safety
One of the first things, you should consider is your
parent's safety. Maybe you have noticed that it is more difficult for your
parent to get around the house. He or she may have stumbled trying to get in and out of the tub. He or she may have a fear that if he or she were to fall,
she would not be able to get the help she needs. All of these concerns could be alleviated by having a
team of trained specialists around to help her when she needs
assistance and to, quite literally, be there to pick her up if she falls.
2. Home Maintenance
Are your parents having trouble maintaining their
home? It may be more difficult to do simple things like mowing the lawn or
doing housework. Washing clothes could be such a hassle that they tend just to
wear the same things repeatedly.
3. Isolation
Your parent's health or mobility may have started
closing them off from the outside world, and it may be hard for them to get out
and visit friends or take part in social activities like they used to. This isolation can be depressing, which doesn't help their current condition.
Assisted living facilities are communities where they can interact with their peers on a daily
basis.
4. Transportation
Transportation could also be an issue for your parents. If your
parents can't drive anymore, it is difficult to do things like go shopping for
groceries or even make it to a doctor's appointment. While they could use
public transportation, it is not always a convenient option in some areas.
5. Burden on Family
Your parents may feel as though they are a burden
to other family members. They might also believe that they are taking time away
from their families or social lives. In some cases, the family may love to help them, but they don't live close
enough to be of any assistance.
If your parents experience any of these problems,
then you might want to research assisted the living community as an option.
These specialized homes allow them to maintain some of their independence while
providing them the help they need. They offer housekeeping, meals, and social activities to keep your parents active. Your parents can also arrange for
transportation to shops or doctor's appointments as needed.
Loved one's memory which habitually forgets
things or has frequent bruises need care beyond what they can give themselves.
Assisted living facilities are designed to help your loved moms or parents retain some independence while aiding them with tasks they can no longer
manage. It might be a hard discussion to have, but you should assure them that you are
only looking out for their best interests.
