5 Reasons Why Assisted Living Might Be Right for a Struggling Family Member

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Whether it’s an older uncle, an aunt who doesn’t wish to complain but is having it tough, or a parent, there comes a time when a little help goes a long way. Sometimes, you live local enough to them to help out (or can relocate to be nearby).

However, other times, work keeps you away or your job is in an industry-focused area in one region of the country and so relocation isn’t possible.

You may see problems in their life that aren’t being resolved. Alternatively, if they’re having too many things go wrong in succession, that’s confirmation too. If you’re unsure, here are five valid reasons why an assisted living facility could be the answer.

1. Can They Still Get Around?

Are they house-bound, or can they still get out to do their shopping, socialize, and function on a daily basis? While they may have given up on the car by now due to failing eyesight, they should at least be able to walk down the road, see friends or neighbors, or perform other small tasks.

When they’re relying on delivery services not for convenience, but due to an inability to get around or arrange transportation, that’s a reason for worry. This can quickly lead to being house-bound and isolated, which can affect their mental health the longer it goes on.

2. The Refrigerator Is Full of Expired Produce

A family member who has a refrigerator full of moldy food or out-of-date milk and eggs is someone who isn’t cooking any longer. Or they’ve lived off reheated canned food, takeout deliveries, and other solutions. They may even have taken to eating far less frequently just to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible.

Also, a regular stack of dirty dishes in the sink that have dried-on food remnants indicates that they’re not taking care of themselves. Older people need sustenance; a good diet to support their daily needs. A poor or insufficient diet won’t sustain them for long.

3. A Declining Appearance

If they look in a crumpled state each time you meet, they may not be putting up the ironing board and ironing out the clothing wrinkles. It could be that erecting the ironing board is too physical for them with the need to bend down and lift it, etc.

It’s awkward to do with mobility issues for sure. Also, if they’ve managed to scold themselves due to an unattended iron that was left on and they forgot about it, that could have been off-putting enough that they stopped ironing their clothes as a solution.

Also, if their daily hygiene leaves something to be desired, you’ll notice that too. That could be combined with wearing the same clothes regularly, which certainly doesn’t help.

4. Laundry Isn’t Done

The laundry may not be getting done very often. If they can no longer bend down to reach the washing machine to load and unload clothing, they’ve run into a problem. One solution is to artificially raise the machine onto a platform to bring it up to their waist height.

When they have never had a machine at home and relied on weekly trips to the laundry mat, mobility problems could be preventing them from getting there. Then the dirty clothes pile up.

5. Money Out of Control?

When you’re out with your favorite aunt, she offers to pay for the restaurant, and her card is declined, that’s a reason for worry. If it has happened on several occasions, then she clearly doesn’t know what’s going on with her money.

Anyone who manages their funds knows approximately what’s in their checking account. Maybe not down to the exact dollars and cents, but they know whether they can cover a fifty-dollar restaurant charge or not before sliding over the debit card.

Quite likely, this is showing that their finances may be in disarray. This is only the first tell-tale indicator that it would be a good idea to dig deeper. Also, if other things begin to happen like overdue notices in the mail, collectors calling while you’re in their home, or utilities being temporarily cut-off “due to work in the area,” be very concerned.

How Does Assisted Living Resolve These Issues?

The idea with assisted living is that it provides a safe living environment for an aging parent or another senior family member who is beginning to find life difficult to manage. Here are some of the benefits of assisted living:

Cleaning and Laundry Done for Them

They can get laundry done for them without needing to handle it. Their residence can be cleaned for them, to keep it in good condition. This avoids them needing to bend down and do other things that might now be painful to accomplish.

Assistance with Bathing

Getting into and out of the bath or shower is fraught with risk if they’re unsteady on their feet or don’t have a strong grip any longer. Help with bathing can be part of the services that assisted living provides. This keeps them clean, dignified, and out of potential danger.

Group Activities

Many seniors love to socialize but find themselves increasingly isolated when they have mobility issues. This puts them at risk of depression when spending too much time alone.

Assisted living facilities organize regular group activities to get their residents out and about in the community. This is true for an assisted living Haddonfield NJ residence facility like Brandywine Living. There’s usually plenty to see and do nearby, like visiting arts and crafts stores, tea stores, and going to the mall for a shopping trip.

Also, group activities can include game afternoons or a movie matinee; it doesn’t always need to involve travel either.

For seniors who are beginning to struggle, you don’t need to leave them to their own devices.

They surely won’t improve from there. Getting them some assistance like a home carer or personal shopper might help in the short term, but they cannot manage all eventualities. A facility designed to cover the things that they’re finding problematic now is better placed to do so.

About Post Author

Yashik Patel

Yashik Patel is a Google Certified, Digital Marketing and professional Blogger. He has 7+ years of experience in SEO, SEM, and ORM (Online Reputation Management) field.

https://bloggingdart.com

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