When Is It a Time To Consider Assisted Living Facility Services for Your Parents? Recognise These Signs
Deciding to move to an assisted living facility can be a challenging decision both physically and emotionally. On one hand, senior citizens love their independence and prefer to stay in their own homes. On the other hand, living without 24-hour assistance can pose health and safety issues.
There are senior residents who are able to live independently without the need for any caregivers. However, there are older adults who might require a helping hand in their daily activities to ensure their well-being.
It is indeed true that families consider assisted living facility services for their parents or loved ones as a last resort. But it also cannot be denied that assisted living can help your parents live a comfortable life by offering them caregiving services. Sometimes, the elderly even go for assisted living facilities voluntarily when they understand that living alone is not a safe option as it can result in health risks and hazards for them.
Shifting your ageing parents to an assisted elderly care home is not an easy decision and the most common question which children have is when is it time for my parents to move into such a facility?
In this write-up, we will explore the signs indicating that it is time to consider this transition for your parents. Before that, we will know what is an assisted living facility.
What is Assisted Living?
The option of assisted living refers to the elderly care facility where senior residents can live in a safe and engaging environment just like their own home along with getting personalised help with daily living. In one of the luxurious senior living facilities in Kolkata, one will get the following assisted living facility services for the elderly.
- Bathing/showering
- Dressing assistance
- Grooming
- Mobility/transferring
- Dining assistance
- In addition to this, they also get round-the-clock support
- Emergency response
- Hospitalisation (as needed)
- Ambulance on call
- Medication support
Recognising When it is Time to Consider Assisted Living for Your Parents
Take a look at some of the signs if you are not sure whether to move your parents into an assisted living facility.
- Unable to perform their daily activities
If you find your parents struggling with daily living like eating meals, taking showers or getting dressed, it is a sign that they need more help. Also, if you see that your parents are feeling exhausted while doing activities like brushing their hair or doing laundry, it is time to give thought to the assisted living option to ensure they can maintain their hygiene.
- Having chronic health issues
The more a person gets older, the more prone they become to developing diseases like Dementia or Alzheimer’s. These progressive illnesses gradually lead to memory loss. If your parents are suffering from these diseases and as a caregiver, you are unable to provide adequate support; you must think of assisted living so that professionals can take care of them.
- Poor eating habits
With ageing, you might find your parents having challenges with grocery shopping and preparing meals. As a result, they skip eating meals or have stale foods kept in refrigeration. This in turn leads to drastic weight loss and makes them vulnerable to falling sick. In premium retirement homes with assisted living facility services, the seniors are given freshly prepared nutritious meals four times a day.
- A feeling of isolation
Feeling lonely and depressed is quite common for older adults when they are required to stay alone. They begin to withdraw themselves from social activities, being unable to get like-minded companions. If isolation is an issue for your parents, an assisted living facility is the best choice. In such elderly care homes, there are plenty of opportunities to socialise and share activities with people of the same interests. Moreover, they even organise cultural events, community activities and celebrate festivals to keep their senior residents engaged and happy.
Final words
It is obvious that opting for assisted living facilities for your parents can be a hard decision. However, there is nothing to be guilty of when you understand that your ageing parents actually require professional assistance for them to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
