When Is It Time For Assisted Living And Who Can Opt For It?

Assisted Living Facility

In the opinion of many experts in senior living, it is never too early to start looking for assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, many elderly adults and their family members wait until an emergency or a health crisis forces their hand. The transition to senior living can be much more exciting and smooth when the elderly adult has the chance to research and tour different assisted living communities before selecting one for themselves. Also, moving to an assisted living facility sooner than later means that your senior loved one has much time to enjoy and benefit from the services and amenities offered in the facility.

If you are unsure whether it is time to start looking for assisted living, the signs that are shared below might help you reach a decision.

• A recent fall at home.
• Feelings of loneliness.
• Increased frustration and stress over medication management.
• Diminished attention to personal hygiene.
• Increased anxiety or depression.
• Difficulty managing chronic pain.

Who Can Opt For Assisted Living?

Seniors who need help with at least one activity of daily living are ideal candidates for assisted living. But, many assisted living facilities accommodate quite diverse groups of residents who come to the community with varying preferences, challenges and abilities. Before an elderly adult moves into an assisted living facility, a representative from the community will assess the senior. Usually, the assessment will include looking at:

• How the person perform their activities of daily living and what they need help with
• The vision and hearing of the person
• The cognitive health of the person
• The overall health of the person, including a medical history

Sometimes, the services offered in an assisted living facility might not be right for a senior person. During the assessment process of the person, the team from the senior living facility might observe that the needs of the person are too high for the caregivers in the assisted living facility to meet or that the person is suffering from significant cognitive health issues that could make living in an assisted living facility unsafe for the person. Seniors who might not be suitable for assisted living are:

• Seniors with cognitive decline concerns, including safety worries like behavioral changes or wandering tendencies.
• Bedridden seniors.
• Seniors with care needs that require oversight of skilled nursing staff such as IV needs, wound care, tracheostomies or feeding tubes.