As your parents grow older, the thought of moving them to a senior living facility starts to creep in. The real question, however, is when is the right time for your parents to move to a senior living facility. Is there a definite age? Continue to read this article to find out more about when you should consider moving them there.
How Are They Faring in Their Current Home?
Knowing the time to start planning the move can be tricky, and in many cases, parents can be unwilling to move. Understandably, moving might come as them accepting that they need help and many people do not like feeling helpless. So, the first thing you need to consider how they are faring in their current home. You need to first ask some questions.
One of the questions you need to ask is; can they still carry out their usual tasks as usual? If not, you might need to start considering the move to a senior living facility. For instance, you can consider the Senior Living Buffalo Grove. You can also check other senior living facilities that can help with the transitioning process and more.
Do They Need Help to Get Things Done?
When you visit your parents, do they need help to get things done around the house? For instance, do they forget to take their pills or medications? Have they started showing signs of not being able to do things without help? In that case, you might need to start considering moving them to one of the various top senior facilities around.
Although in some cases, their need for help might be a one-off thing, and in these cases, you may not need to consider the move. As a result, before you consider an assisted living facility, you need to ensure that you have observed them for a while and see the consistency. That way, you’ll avoid moving them to a senior facility too premature.
Are There Changes in Their Daily Habits?
Have you started noticing changes in their daily activities? For instance, they take their medication regularly, go out for walks, do the dishes, and the like. In this case, you will need to take your time to observe these changes and maybe talk to them about your observation. In any case, they seem not to notice, then it might be time to move.
Without a doubt, some things might not be too serious, but it can be overemphasized in our head. In that case, you might need to talk to experts so that you can have more knowledge on the topic. That way, you will not have to worry about rushing into making a decision, and then, the transition will be completely smooth as well.
How Is Their Physical Wellbeing and Safety?
Your parents’ safety and wellbeing should be on top of your mind, especially because as they get older, both of these things might be compromised. There are some indicators that the physical safety and wellbeing of a loved one are in jeopardy. If they have had a fall or other emergency, it is time to consider moving them to a senior living facility. This need becomes even more urgent if they are unable to call 911 when these emergencies happen.
Other signs to look out for include deteriorating health conditions, taking longer to recover from illnesses, poor grip strength, experiencing fatigue unusually quickly, and looking frail.
Are They Losing Weight?
Weight loss requires a special mention because it can be a sign of a bigger problem. The most obvious cause of weight loss is that your parents are unable to shop or forget to buy the right type of food for their nutrition needs. They may also shop and forget to eat with the obvious sign of this being uneaten food in the fridge or pantry.
Weight loss might also be due to underlying health issues that need to be looked into by a doctor.
Are They Exhibiting Negative Emotions Regularly?
Physical and violent aggression manifest often in people with dementia. When this happens, caregivers might start feeling stressed, or feeling like they are not doing enough, which leads to more stress. When it gets to this stage, it is time to start thinking about assisted living.
Are they Isolating Themselves?
Isolation is a serious problem for a lot of seniors, especially those who live alone. Apart from physical isolation, seniors can isolate themselves by not interacting with their friends and family. This leads to additional loneliness, stress, or even depression.
If your loved one has stopped leaving the house and no longer participates in activities they used to enjoy, they may be isolating themselves and that might lead to lots of problems later.
How Are They Handling Money?
Financial responsibility is a massive challenge for seniors. Things like paying the bills or meeting other financial obligations might start to seem like chores and your loved ones may lack the motivation to get them done.
An inability to handle numbers might also be signs of dementia or other mental conditions so it is important to observe and then make the best decision based on your observations. Also, if you notice any unexplained expenses on their accounts, it might be time to get someone to intervene and ensure they are not being scammed.
Are Their Needs Escalating?
As our parents get older, their needs will keep increasing. If you are their primary caregiver, you might find yourself doing a lot more than you used to and might end up feeling like taking care of their needs is above your physical capabilities. You are not alone in feeling this way because we all have limits to our abilities. Also, if you start to feel like your abilities are stretched to a point where you or their caretaker might not be able to guarantee their safety, it is time to have the difficult conversation.
Summary and Conclusion
Moving your parents to a senior facility is another phase that you need to ease them into. In that case, you need to take the time to ensure that you do not rush into making a decision. In addition to that, you need to convince them that they need to make the move as well so that there is little or no resistance.
