Several weeks ago, a dear family friend of mine suffered a devastating stroke. For a few days, his family members didn’t know if he would survive this event. Thankfully, he did. Now, he is undergoing the slow recovery process in a nursing home. Since his stroke, his family has been amazing. They visit him daily at the nursing facility. They have even decorated his room in an effort to make him feel like he is at home. If your loved one has recently been admitted to a nursing home, don’t despair. You may be able to help your loved one adjust to this living situation better by being supportive. On this blog, you will discover the ways to make your loved one’s transition to a nursing home easier.
A Home Away from Home
Smooth Move: Knowing When Your Elderly Parent Needs More Care
Johnny Rodriguez
When your elderly parent could no longer live independently, you helped find an assisted living community that would offer the extra support needed for this life phase. However, you are wondering whether this is still the appropriate placement; it seems your family member isn't as sharp as when he/she first moved in. How do you know when it's time to move your parent to a higher level of care? If it is time, how do you break that news?
Assisted living profile
Assisted living functions best as its name implies: a level of care that offers help with some aspects of independent living. An elderly person best suited for assisted living can manage most areas of life, but needs an outside party's help to:
- remember to take medication
- prepare meals
- shower, dress, and groom
- get to medical appointments or run errands
In general, someone in assisted living can manage the responsibilities of a home, with minor helps.
When it's time to move
However, an elderly person may experience a decline in health or cognition that necessitates a higher level of care. Some of the things that indicate it is time to look for a nursing home for your loved one include:
- frequent lapses of memory, especially when these present risks (such as leaving the stove on or forgetting to close the front door)
- new medical condition or aggravation of existing condition that requires increased medical supervision
- depression or other mental health condition that may lead to impaired judgment or risk of self-harm
In general, you and the staff at the assisted care facility will probably agree that more intensive supervision by healthcare professionals is necessary for your loved one's safety and well-being.
How to smooth the move
Chances are that even with cognitive or emotional impairment, your loved one knows that he/she is no longer on top of things. However, to suddenly hear you say, "It's time to move to a nursing home," can be a jolt. This may set your parent up to resist such a step, as it represents a further loss of independence.
The best way to discuss the need for such a move is honestly, with the support of a trusted caretaker from among the assisted living staff. Here are some suggestions:
- First, affirm your love to your parent, and your commitment to finding the highest quality of care for his/her needs.
- Move on to gently describe your concerns, and ask the caretaker to chime in with observations that indicate your parent needs help that is beyond the scope of the community.
- Give your parent some time to express feelings and sort through this new information.
- Have brochures ready that describe a few nursing homes you have prescreened. Point out advantages of each. One positive aspect of a nursing home is that its cost may be covered by your parent's insurance.
Use these guidelines to decide whether a move is in order, and enlist the help of professionals whom your parent trusts. Aging is difficult for the elderly person as well as the family unit, but done wisely, the move to a more appropriate level of care can go smoothly. If you're looking for an assisted living center in your area, visit Orchard Park.
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