Is Assisted Living Right for Your Loved One?

As loved ones grow older, it can be difficult to assess if they need extra help around the house. If so, how much attention do they require? What kind of help should you turn to? Below is a breakdown of signs that your loved one may need extra support and the types of care available to them.

Signs That Assisted Living Is Needed

There is a wide range of ways to test whether a senior is in need of outside care. A simple assessment can involve seeing how many daily activities your loved one can complete on his or her own. This includes ability in dressing, bathing and going to the bathroom, as well as a broader determination of whether he or she can successfully pay bills, cook and socialize.

Aside from those indications, there are others to watch out for when entering a loved one’s home. Extreme changes in weight, frailness or body odor indicate the senior is not taking proper care of him or herself. Bills sitting in a large pile of unopened mail or an obvious lack of cleaning and old takeout meals means the senior may no longer be able to perform functions like cleaning up, cooking or paying bills. An increase in medical conditions that require extra attention also suggests a senior needs help.

Types of Assisted Living

Just googling places near you, like home care massachusetts, will pull up results for various options that you can choose from. The care you can obtain for your loved one ranges from very little involvement, like helping with small daily activities within the senior’s home, to full-time care, like nursing homes where staff is available 24 hours to help with any needs. An alternative option can be an adult foster care group that assists your loved one not just at home, but on outings in his or her community.

It’s always difficult to see loved ones reach a point where they require extra help. However, that doesn’t mean their quality of life will suffer — it will just receive a helping hand along the way.