As parents age, their correspondingly aging children frequently take on more of a caretaker role – whether literally becoming the full-time caregiver, or merely giving more attention to their aging parents.
And recently, due to global circumstances, you – like a lot of adult children – may be in even closer contact with your aging parent than before. You may be checking in with your parents more frequently to monitor their health and wellbeing: more phone calls, more video chats, and maybe even more face-to-face interactions.
Because of this, you may be more honed into your parent’s or parents’ way of life than you were prior – and maybe it doesn’t look quite like you had thought. Perhaps their home is in greater disarray; perhaps they’re moving more slowly than before, or perhaps they’re having a harder time taking care of themselves than you realized.
Additionally, many individuals have been running more errands for their aging parents – such as pharmacy pickups, meal delivery, or grocery shopping – in an effort to keep them at home as much as possible.
This also offers insight into a parent’s life: perhaps their medication list is heavier than in the past; perhaps their eating habits or grocery requests aren’t as nutritious as they should be (or once were).
Is assisted living the right path?
Overall, you may be learning a lot more about the lifestyle and living situation of your parent or parents – and it may be clear that they need more help than you can give them.
Assisted living may be the best solution!
These communities offer residents that touch of extra day-to-day help that they need: from bathing to grooming to medication management. Additionally, medical care is available and provided as needed, and all meals are supplied.
These communities also feature many social benefits – with things like group activities and common spaces – helping to eliminate isolation among seniors. And, even though staff members are available to help at all hours of the day, communities are set up to allow residents the freedom to live as independently as possible.
In general, these communities cover the concerns individuals have about their aging loved ones: clean living spaces, nutritious meals, and consistent support. With so much hands-on assistance and daily needs met, assisted living offers both residents and family members a stable peace of mind.
Do you still have questions or concerns about assisted living? Eldercare Connections provides personalized care plans for seniors, using their vast supply of expertise and resources, to make the journey of aging as smooth as possible.