Assisted Living - When Is It Time To Move?

When you have elderly parents or relatives, it may be a struggle to determine when exactly is the "best" time to move your loved one into an assisted living facility. While there is no perfect time or exact science, it generally is recommended that sooner rather than later is best.

Waiting for a crisis situation to happen - such as a senior who falls and has a long-term hospitalization or wanders away from home and can't remember how to go back - is not a good idea. The decision you and the senior will have to make will be done under a great deal of stress - with little time to research the best options. Also, the housing that you and the senior would have preferred may now no longer be available.

What are some signs that it is time to seriously consider assisted living?

Difficulty performing daily activities

* Wearing same clothes multiple days

* Bathing less frequently with personal hygiene suffering

* Not bothering to cook for one person, skipping meals

* Laundry and housekeeping are a burden

* Spends time in only a few rooms in the house

Memory loss

* Repeating questions or statements, multiple phone calls with the same questions

* Leaving the stove on, frequently misplacing items

Medication concerns

* Forgetting to take medications resulting in missed dosages or over dosages

* Running out of medications - or not properly ordering medications from the pharmacy

* Keeping expired medications

Lack of Socialization

* Losing touch with friends and becoming isolated

* Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed such as going to church

* Showing signs of depression such as crying or sleeping a lot

* Loss of spouse, relatives and long-time friends

Fear

* Becoming increasingly paranoid or fearful of others

* Afraid to be alone at night

* Becoming more dependent on family members

* Feeling neighborhood is not as safe as it used to be

Safety concerns

* Stairs, steps and clutter make it more likely to fall

* No help nearby if fall or emergency occurs

* Difficulty getting in and out of tub or on and off of toilet

If you have noticed some or most of the signs, it is time to consider a safer environment for your loved one.