The law of life follows a simple path – as elders keep aging and move towards their fading years, most of them experience a gradual decline in their ability to lead a regular life. They cannot take care of themselves by performing some of the simplest tasks like bathing or dressing without seeking help from others. Family members face one of the most challenging tasks about taking care of their beloved ones, and they must be prepared to make difficult decisions about how they handle such situations. It creates a lot of emotional stress to see someone who loved and cared for you so much are now in need of the same, and it is your time to reciprocate the gesture as a sign of your gratitude and love.
Taking care of seniors within the family becomes overbearing at times when it inhibits your regular life. During such times, you need to find a middle ground by developing a sensible plan for both the caregiver and the senior member and arrange for senior care. You might think about sending your beloved senior to some top-ranked assisted living facilities in Augusta, GA, provided you can afford it because senior living facilities are expensive. Therefore, you must correctly evaluate if it is the right time for seniors to go to some assisted living facility by identifying some telling signs.
Determine the level of care that seniors need
Do you find that the extent of care you provide to seniors at home is turning out inadequate? Are you finding it difficult to arrange for proper resources at home to support all kinds of assistance they need, you should consider that it is time to send them to some assisted living facility. Monitor their daily living activities like bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, getting out of bed, feeding, and ability to control their bowels. Consider how comfortably they can complete the tasks by themselves and the extent of assistance they need. Compare it with the kind of care they are receiving currently, what additional care would be necessary, and whether you can arrange it at home. If the extent of care given at home falls short of the actual need, then you must consider sending your loved one to some assisted living facility.
Worsening medical conditions
As seniors grow older, medical conditions can start deteriorating. Sometimes, frequent emergencies can be impossible to handle at home. It would require shutting between hospitals and nursing homes, which can be extremely difficult for caregivers at home to handle. Often seniors suffer from some debilitating issues like Alzheimer’s or heart disease, which is quite prevalent among seniors.
When seniors face such health conditions that do not have any cure but keep worsening, they need more care and attention and constant medical assistance as they cannot take even the least care of themselves. If you find that the senior is struggling to get out of bed or has fallen and found it very hard to get back on their feet on their own, lose no time but look for some senior assisted living facility where they would be looked after well. Know what to bring to assisted living when putting your beloved senior in any such facility.
Isolation
The biggest stress for seniors is living a lonely life, and almost 11 million American seniors lead an isolated life that damages their mental health due to depression. Isolation can have serious adverse effects on the mind. It deters the affected persons from pursuing the things they love to do, including their hobbies. They stay away from participating in any social activities, which reduces their human interactions and increases anxiety and stress. They may remain confined to the homes without ever trying to venture out. The lack of a sense of purpose or inability to stay connected to the community only aggravates the problem due to increased depression that makes them fall sick with heart diseases or dementia. Isolation for seniors is dangerous because it can turn fatal, as evident from their high mortality rate.
Poor hygiene and frailty
Although your beloved seniors at home might have some ability to do the daily chores and take care of themselves to some extent, they might not be able to maintain the desired standard of hygiene. They might be prone to foul odor and messy grooming habits, which are sure signs that need more assistance, only available at some senior living facility. If they are not bathing regularly and unable to do their laundry, it is a sign of their inability to care for themselves as they become frail due to age.
Many different types of senior care facilities meet various needs and budgets, and you should find a suitable facility for your beloved one.
