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
Signs That Indicate Someone With Dementia Might Need To Live At An Assisted Living Facility
Johnny Rodriguez
Caring for an elderly parent isn't simple, but it's even harder to care for a parent that is suffering from dementia. Caring for a person with dementia takes a lot of work and patience. In fact, people with dementia often require around-the-clock care, especially as their condition progresses. So, if you can't afford to hire in-home care and your living situation has become too stressful for you to handle, it might be time to start looking for an assisted living facility for your loved one. In fact, your loved one could benefit from living in an assisted living facility if you notice any of these signs.
Frequent Mood Swings
It's common for people who have dementia to have mood swings frequently. The mood swings tend to occur when the person struggles to remember simple things or begins to have trouble communicating with others. Several environmental factors also commonly cause dementia patients to have mood swings or even to be aggressive, including feeling lost, being in a crowded place, being surrounded by people that are unrecognizable to them, or hearing loud noises. The amount of aggression a dementia patient has varies by person, and in some instances it can be managed easily. However, if you are caring for an elderly person with dementia who has mood swings that are drastically disrupting your day-to-day life, it might be time to consider moving your loved one to an assisted living facility.
Wandering
People with dementia often wander away from their homes, and are unable to find their way back. Unfortunately, when a person with dementia starts wandering, it can lead to potentially dangerous situations — especially if the person is taking regular medications. The more your loved one's condition progresses, the higher the risk of wandering becomes. This is one reason why it's common for people with late-stage dementia to need constant care. Assisted living facilities that cater to patients with dementia or alzheimer's disease have good security systems in place to prevent this from happening.
Living in an Unsafe Environment
While you might not consider your home an unsafe environment for your family, it could very possibly be an unsafe environment for someone with dementia. If you've noticed that your loved one doesn't seem to be getting around as easily as he or she was before, you need to take these things into consideration to determine whether or not it's still safe for your loved one to be living at home.
- Does the house have stairs?
- Does the shower have a place where your loved one can sit down, a safety bar, and an anti-slip mat?
- Will your loved one attempt cooking without supervision?
- Are medications stored in a secure place?
- Does living in the home give your loved one access to dangerous items or weapons? Remember, things such as knives, scissors, or tools can be dangerous to someone with dementia.
- Is there anything in your home that's easy to trip over?
Making the decision to move a loved one to an assisted living facility is never easy. However, if your loved one is suffering from dementia, he or she might be safer in an environment designed for dementia patients. So, if you start to notice signs that your loved one's dementia is progressing, you should consider looking into moving your loved one to an assisted living facility nearby like Hilltop House Assisted Living.
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