Do you have an aging adult parent living alone? Are you wondering how to identify when it may be time to move your aging parent into an assisted living facility? When monitoring your aging parent, there are 3 areas you should begin to be aware of and look into. Self-care, no longer being able to drive and get around, and personal safety. Have you noticed that all three areas are becoming more challenging?
When you think about self care, there are many things we do as adults that we take for granted. Routine tasks such as showering, cooking, and grocery shopping may be simple for most of us, but there is no denying that they often get harder as we get older. It may be time for your parent to transition to assisted living if they are struggling with things such as food shopping, meal preparation, eating healthy foods on a regular basis, personal hygiene, laundry and taking prescribed medications.
If your aging parent is no longer able to drive and has to rely on others for transportation, that may be a huge problem. Often there are community and home services that may help fill the gaps when seniors can no longer drive. That being stated, it may be time for your aging parent to move to assisted living if the inability to drive keeps them from socializing with friends or family, engaging in activities they once enjoyed, keeping medical appointments and doing grocery shopping and other routine tasks.
The overall safety of your aging parent is of utmost concern. Your concern may arise because you have noticed unexplained injuries that may be indicative of falls or other accidents, your aging parent forgets to turn off the stove or other kitchen appliances after using them, your aging parent expresses fear or concern about using household appliances or avoids using them, your aging parent does not have a personal alert device to summon help in case of an accident, the home of your aging parent is not equipped for aging in place and, most worrisome, your aging parent is beginning to wander.
Finally, choosing the right assisted living facility for your aging parent will depend on his or her unique needs, the cost, the location and other factors. In addition to these issues, you and your parent may have concerns about the legal implications associated with this crucial transition. We highly recommend that you reach out to your California estate planning attorney for assistance.
Do you have questions? We know this article may raise more questions than it answers. Our office is here for you and your loved ones. Please call us to schedule a meeting time.