How do you know when it’s time for mom or dad to move to a senior living community? While this is one of our most commonly asked questions, it’s also one of the most difficult to answer. The reality is that there’s rarely one ‘this is it’ moment where you clearly know what your next step should be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t subtle signs that your loved one may need extra support.
Here are some indicators for which you can be looking:
Signs It May Be Time for a Senior Living Community
Safety
- Are doors being left unlocked, opened to strangers or has your loved been wandering?
- Have there been kitchen fires or appliances left on?
- Does your loved one get disoriented in familiar places?
- Have there been falls or is the risk high due to eye conditions, balance, medications or safety concerns at home?
Health
- Has there been sudden weight loss or gain, a recent health scare or trouble recovering from illnesses such as colds?
- Is it hard for your loved one to get up from a chair, navigate stairs and/or around furniture?
- Are chronic health conditions getting worse or harder to manage?
- Is your loved one suddenly unkempt and/or do they have stained and dirty clothing?
Tasks
- Do they have trouble managing yard work, house cleaning, laundry, shopping and other chores?
- Can they shower, dress, use the bathroom and manage medications without help?
- Are there unpaid bills, unopened mail or have they fallen victim to scams?
- Are their pets well taken care of?
Transportation
- Have you noticed dents on the car and/or accidents or close calls while your loved one was driving?
- Have you noticed them driving too fast/slow, tailgating, drifting across lanes or confusing the gas and brake?
- Are they easily distracted or have they gotten lost on the way home?
- Is your loved one keeping the car maintained, have they run out of gas?
Nutrition
- Have you found stale, expired foods in the pantry or excessive amounts of particular items?
- Have you noticed them driving too fast/slow, tailgating, drifting across lanes or confusing the gas and brake?
- Does your loved one rely on TV dinners or take-out instead of cooking freshly prepared food?
Also consider the emotional state of your loved one as isolation and depression factor heavily in their overall health and well-being and can put them at potentially greater risk of health decline.
The Full Picture
If after answering these questions you’re still unsure if it’s time for a senior living community for your loved one, it’s OK. This is one of the biggest decisions your family will make, so don’t hesitate to get a second, third or fourth opinion from friends, your loved one’s doctor, a social worker or even have a senior living community like Sonata come out for an in-home assessment.
What’s most important is that your loved one gets the support they need and that you all feel comfortable and confident in your decision.
To learn more about Sonata’s senior assisted living and memory care communities in Florida, please feel free to contact us today →
5 Tips on Moving your Loved One to a Senior Living Community in Florida
There’s no place like home, right? For many seniors, this is absolutely the case.
Even when you know — and they know themselves — that the time has come to move to senior living. But that doesn’t make it any easier to leave.
