Ten Signs That Signal Your Parents May be Ready for Assisted Living Arrangements

We all may at some time face the task of deciding whether or not our parents have needs (medically, physically or mentally) that require assisted living arrangements. Here are ten signs that if present, may indicate to you that the time to move your parents to an assisted living arrangement has come. Noticing one or just a few of the following signs may not necessarily mean that it is time to consider another living arrangement, but if you notice that many of the listed signs are present than it may benefit your parents for you to look into a better living arrangement for them.

1. Your parent is not able to pay household bills on time or they forget to pay them at all. Bills and other important documents are not stored properly.

2. They are unable to recognize the need to make normal household repairs, to maintain lawns, dispose of trash or retrieve their mail on a regular basis.

3. They may not be preparing meals or eating at regular times. You may notice a poor selection of food choices or food that has expired.

4. There may be an increased incidence of traffic violations or traffic accidents or they easily become lost in areas that have previously been familiar to them.

5. You notice a decline in their personal hygiene habits such as unclean or messy hair, dirty or long fingernails, poor oral hygiene, body odor, unshaven appearance or wearing the same clothes several days in a row.

6. You may notice that they do not seem interested in or have the ability to keep up with daily household chores such as laundry, dishes, shopping or lawn care.

7. They may lose track of where they put medications, eyeglasses or miss medication doses.

8. They become uninterested in normal activities like shopping, visiting friends and family or participating in normal activities and hobbies.

9. Managing stairs, walking on level ground, complaining of dizziness or experiencing falls.

10. Inability to make sound decisions that may have caused or could cause self harm or endanger others such as leaving the stove on, leaving cigarettes burning on bed or other combustible surfaces or not being able to recognize and react to emergency situations in an appropriate manner.

Noticing one or just a few of the above signs may also signal that it is appropriate to solicit the help of home helpers in the community, neighbors or friends. Sometimes relatives can assist with one or more of the areas addressed in the above list. It is however time to consider assisted living arrangements when many of the items on the list occur and it is not possible to make arrangements for help to come to where your parents currently live or if your parents feel unsafe living alone.

When you do feel that the time is right to explore the possibilities of assisted living there are several options to choose from. You have many sources available to you that can offer assistance in selecting the right assisted living arrangements for your parents. One source is the healthcare provider currently caring for your parents. Another good source of information is the local senior center or the community center. There are also many senior Websites that have resources for seniors that can point you in the right direction.