You’ve been the caregiver of an elderly loved one. It can be challenging to determine when it’s time to move them into assisted living communities. You want them to be as independent as possible and safe and healthy.
While there are many similarities between the two types of residential care, some key differences can impact your loved one’s quality of life. Here’s how to know if your loved one should move from independent living into assisted living in New Braunfels, TX:
Is Your Loved One Missing Medical Appointments?
One sign your loved one may be struggling with independent living is if they are missing medical appointments. If you notice your loved one isn’t going to their regular doctor appointments, talk with them about it. They’ve possibly adopted some not-too-good habits and need a reminder of what’s going on in their health.
Suppose you feel like your loved one is making excuses for not attending a medical appointment. These excuses could indicate they’re no longer capable of looking after themselves. If this happens frequently, a more significant issue may be affecting their ability to stay healthy and maintain independence without assistance from another person or organization.
Has Your Loved One Developed Dementia?
Dementia is a common condition in older adults. It is not a normal part of aging but rather a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily tasks.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. That number will increase as baby boomers age and will likely reach 14 million by 2050. A quarter of people aged 65 or older have some form of dementia, and half develop Alzheimer’s disease specifically.
Dementia can be difficult for loved ones to detect because it often begins subtly. Often, the disease starts with forgetfulness, which may seem like simple absentmindedness but progresses over time. As it worsens, your loved one may have trouble remembering recent events (short-term memory loss) or recalling information from long ago (long-term memory loss).
In addition, they may begin having difficulty performing everyday activities (problem-solving), communicating verbally or nonverbally with others around them as well as recognizing familiar people and places (identity), planning for tasks such as driving home from work each day, or shopping for groceries without assistance (executive function skills).
Are Your Loved Ones Living In An Unsafe Environment?
One of the biggest concerns when discussing assisted living is whether or not a loved one can live safely on their own. Of course, you can determine if this is true, such as checking for any safety hazards in the home.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that it has become more difficult for your elderly parent or family member to take care of their house. This difficulty can include cleaning their home regularly, keeping everything organized, and ensuring that all electrical appliances are working properly. It might be time to move them into assisted living. Look at how much help they need with cooking meals because this could be another sign that it’s time for them to get more help.
Conclusion
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time for your loved one to move into assisted living. But don’t rush into it! Take the time to find the right place with a good team who can care for your loved one. It might be a difficult decision, but ultimately, this move is for the best.
