SIGNS IT IS TIME FOR HELP
Finding The Right Time to Place a Loved One into Seniors Housing
by Robin Kalmek
The decision about whether or not to move a loved one into a senior housing facility can be a difficult and gut-wrenching one, and it is never easily made. Remember, your most important consideration is the health and happiness of your loved one.
Before you decide to move a parent into a retirement home, it’s best to consider a number of factors, including their relative health, their relative isolation from friends, family and medical care, and the safety of their environment. In some cases, a senior may only need occasional housekeeping assistance, an occasional visit from Meals on Wheels, or to have a medical professional visit occasionally to administer medications, and monitor their health. Other seniors may be fine with a roommate or a live-in caregiver. In some cases, if it’s available, perhaps a move into a spare room in the home of a family member is all that’s necessary.
In many cases however, seniors need a lot more help than it first appears. The key to evaluating their need for a retirement home is the ability to look at the situation honestly. Sometimes, you might need to discuss the issue with people outside the core family. Children often see their parents as they were 30 years ago, not as they are now. It’s easy for anyone to overlook signs of decline in the elderly, and it’s absolutely essential that you look very closely for signs that they need a lot more assistance than they’re getting.
Signs to look for:
- They tell you they’re eating, but you find food in the refrigerator that’s spoiled.
- They wear the same clothes every time you come for a visit.
- They’re covering up or hiding bruises they’ve received from falling.
- They’re occasionally forgetting to take medications correctly, with the right dosages at the right time.
- They’re forgetting to turn off appliances when they’re finished with them, or they’re using them improperly.
- They complain of hearing strange and scary noises in the night.
- The house and their yard are much messier than they used to be.
- There are papers and unpaid bills lying around everywhere.
- They are unable to respond appropriately to an emergency.
- When you look hard at them, you see someone limited in their abilities, who needs help at least several hours a day, or even around the clock.
You should also assess their environment, as well. For example, is their home equipped with safety features such as grab bars and emergency response systems? Do they have a plan in place to contact someone in case they have an emergency? If they are driving, should they? And is alternate transportation available for them should they need it?
Making the decision to place a loved one into an assisted living facility or nursing home is very difficult, but their safety and security has to be the number one consideration when making such a decision. Be honest in assessing the situation, and the decision will be positive for everyone involved.
