Top 4 Signs To Know When It’s Time For Assisted Living

It's a significant choice to move into an assisted living facility. However, a lot of families wait to make a decision until a loved one is in serious medical distress. When it's time to think about moving, there are a few telltale signs that will let you know.

Nobody wants to relocate to assisted living from the comfort of their home. However, in some circumstances, it is the right choice to maintain the safety and health of elderly or aging parents. With that in mind, you should take a closer look at the current housing situation, health status, and medical requirements to decide whether assisted living is the right choice or if your elderly parent may safely stay at home. The following are warning signals to watch out for and ways to determine when a change is necessary.

Unable To Keep Up With Daily Tasks
Your parents might be finding it difficult to accept that they might require assistance with daily tasks, but that is why assisted living is a thing. If your elderly loved ones are having trouble getting dressed, taking a shower, or eating, assisted living could be the best choice for them.

You should also check to see whether they have trouble doing their own laundry or brushing their own hair. If the response is no, assisted living could be a viable choice.

Their Health Is Noticeably Declining
​​If you have noticed that their health has reached a critical point and they are unable to do even the most basic activities, it may be time to step in. Frailty is a common sign of aging that makes daily life more difficult. If they are seeing the doctor more regularly and just seem too exhausted, their health may be deteriorating. In some cases, they may just inform you that their health is declining and that they are finding it difficult to perform routine tasks like going to the store or walking the dog.

Starting To Forget Things More Frequently
Do your parents seem to forget things more often than usual? Do they fail to take prescribed medications, pay payments, or keep missing appointments? Is the house littered with piles of unread mail? Are any of their prescription drugs out of date? Does your parent occasionally forget to turn the stove or oven off? While some memory loss symptoms are harmless, others, like forgetting to turn off the heat or take your prescription, can be fatal.

​They Can Become Antisocial
To simply put it, some people are less sociable than others. Staying in may not be unusual if your loved one has always been an introvert. However, isolation might be a significant warning sign if they were formerly social butterflies who frequently visited with friends and relatives. They could no longer have faith in their capacity to engage in social interactions, or they might just no longer choose to do so. With that in mind, their health could be harmed by excessive isolation.

It could be time to start looking into nearby assisted living homes and assessing your loved one's additional requirements if the answer to most of these questions raise any concerns or if you're observing some of the warning signs mentioned above.

Bottom Line
Don't forget to keep an eye out for your loved one's overall well-being in addition to the warning indicators mentioned above. Finding a community might be an appropriate next step if you think they could benefit from additional assistance to help them enjoy life to the fullest.

Many senior citizens realize that they actually like the increased level of support as well as the additional possibilities for socializing, dining, and activities after going through the initial adjustment phase. Furthermore, it indicates that a care strategy is in place, reducing the need for family members to consistently lend a helping hand.