When Is It Time for Assisted Living?

Deciding on the best time for assisted living is just as hard as deciphering the Difference Between Assisted Living and a Nursing Home.

These two decisions are crucial to the aging process. Choosing wisely will ensure that you or your loved one will continue to have a vibrant life after the transition to a care facility.

It is hard to know when the right time for assisted living is. Many people wait longer than necessary. Often it is a catastrophic event, like a fall or broken bones, that drives the decision. In order to ensure the senior gets the right amount and type of care at the right time, we’ve compiled a list of things to consider. This list includes both physical and mental capabilities. Hopefully, this will help you make your decisions easier.

The staff at all four Vibrant Life locations throughout Michigan are well versed and trained to help you. Please do not hesitate to call one of our locations to speak to someone directly.

Call Today: (734)847-3217 Temperance

Call Today: (734)484-4740 Superior (Ann Arbor/Canton)

Call Today: (989)288-6561 Durand/Owosso

Call Today: (269)372-6100 New Friends Kalamazoo

Physical Signs That it is Time for Assisted Living

The following questions relate to someone’s ability to physically live alone and take care of themselves.

#1. Has your loved one fallen recently?

This is often the first time family members consider assisted living. If your loved one is serious hurt and requires surgery and/or physical therapy they first will usually go to a “Rehab” for rehabilitation. This rehab can be from 20-100 days, but is usually around 20 days. Your Medicare benefit pays 100% of the rehab up to day 20, and approximately 85% from day 21 to day 100. You might not realize it but most most of these “rehabs” are usually nursing homes.

Did you know you can now do “Rehab” in assisted Living? In our Vibrant Life Senior Living, Superior Township location (Ann Arbor/Canton) you can have your Medicare Rehab done right in our own community. You can skip the Nursing Home! Call us for more information.

I there has been a fall you need to ask yourself:

“How likely are they to fall again?”

“How long could it be until help arrives?”

“Do we just need to get a medical alert system?”

#2. Can my loved one get around in their own home?

Is your loved one still able to get up and down the stairs? Can they navigate the threshold on doors to get in and out of the house? You may need to renovate or adapt the home or transition to assisted living.

#3. Is my loved one eating and bathing properly?

Often the first signs that someone needs more assistance is a decrease in a person’s ability to perform their own activities of daily living (ADL). The six main ADL’s are:

dressing
bathing
toileting/personal care
ambulating (walking)
eating
taking medications

In other words, if they start to need help cooking for themselves, cleaning the house, and basic hygiene (bathing, brushing teeth, combing hair, changing clothes, etc.) If one or more of these areas of their life is being neglected it is a sign that they need more help with daily tasks of living.

Note: if your loved one also has any pets, you will need to also assess how the pets are being taken care of as well.

#4. Does my loved one have chronic health problems that are going to continue to get worse?

Once your loved one develops a health issue that will continue to worsen, as is common as we age, it may be easier for everyone if the move to assisted living happens sooner than later. The term “Aging in Place” is used in senior care to mean that as the person’s health care needs increase, the facility they reside in is equipped to provide more care. This is common in memory care facilities that generally have different levels of care depending on the progression of dementia.

Note: Most Vibrant Life Communities have three different levels of memory care or support – early, moderate and later stages. This is unique in the industry. We have found that people can stay more vibrant, and the staff and families are happier when a person requiring help with memory care is living in a community with people like them, rather than being at a different stage of memory support.

#5. Does it take longer for my loved one to recover from illness or injury?

Unfortunately, this is a natural part of getting older. This is a sign of a weakened immune system and often indicates that they’ll need more care soon.

#6. Does my loved one remember to take all their medication as prescribed?

If your family member lives alone and/or is having trouble remembering to take their medication, this is a sign that more help is needed. If they are skipping medication due to a financial concern, a medicare supplemental insurance program could help.

#7. How is my loved one’s driving?

As we get older it is very important that we are realistic about our ability to drive. This is such a hard topic to broach because driving means freedom to most people. No one wants to give up their freedom. However, if your loved one has been in an accident, even if it was a minor fender bender, or if they are involved in more than one traffic incident, it is time to assess their driving.

When someone is impaired enough to no longer be able to drive it is a good time to also determine if they should be living alone. This is a good indicator that changes in other areas of their life are most likely needed.

Cognitive Signs That it is Time for Assisted Living

The following list of questions will help you determine if your loved one is struggling with dementia or other cognitive issues that may require more care than their current situation.

#1. Has my loved one’s personality changed?

When people start to experience dementia or memory loss they can become angry. Often, this is their way of hiding how scared they are of the changes that are happening to them. Aggressive behavior can also be associated with confusion and dementia.

If your loved one has topped participating in social activities they used to enjoy, ask them why. If they have stopped leaving the house regularly they may be scared to drive or worried they will forget something. Depression can also set in when we start to worry about our memory. These are all signs that someone may need more support and care.

#2. Has your loved one gotten lost lately?

This could be while driving or out walking, or forgetting where they are. It is scary and upsetting when this starts to happen and can be an indication that memory loss and dementia have started or progressed. If this happens, you should think seriously about in home care, or assisted living or memory care. Your loved one’s life could be in danger.

#3. Does my loved one seem happy?

This may be an easier question to start with. If you notice your loved one generally seems unhappy, or not as happy as they once were, it is time for an honest conversation. Depression can be the cause but also a sign of more going on, as listed above. Staying in tune with elderly people’s general state of happiness can often help you recognize early on when something isn’t right or their situation requires a change.

The Wrap Up: When is it time for assisted living?

Realizing your loved one needs full-time care can be hard. These signs will help you be aware sooner that more care is needed. This allows you to make informed decisions in a timely manner before a major incident happens.

Vibrant Life Senior Living founder and owner, Dean Solden, expresses it this way: “In my thirty years in the senior living business, I talk to people about their loved ones every day. The most important piece of advice I can give someone is this: if you are thinking of having Mom or Dad relocate to an assisted living or memory care community, do it 60-90 days earlier than you think they need it! Most people make the mistake of waiting too long. I cannot tell you how many times people contact us and are ‘thinking’ of having Mom or Dad move into Vibrant Life, but they keep waiting. And sure enough, Mom or Dad falls or has an accident, and then they need surgery on their knee or hip, and THEN they come to us. Now they’ve suffered a double trauma. They have to deal with being more physically compromised than before, AND they have to deal with the stress of moving to a new home. Please, move to the new home FIRST, before an incident happens. One stressful incident at a time is enough. Two is too much. It will save you many months and years of suffering, and make it much easier on your Mom or Dad.”

Talk to your loved one about their housing options. You may need to involve their doctor and a financial advisor in the conversations so that you both understand all the senior living choices available and what level of care makes sense.