You want to know when to move your loved one into an assisted living center. You don’t want to do it too early, taking away some of the freedom they enjoy before it’s necessary. At the same time, you don’t want to wait too long, potentially putting them in a dangerous position.
How do you know if it’s time? Here are six key indicators that you should look for:
- The person’s care needs are getting more difficult for you to fulfill on your own.
- Taking care of the elderly individual is giving you — and/or other caregivers — a lot of stress and creating a difficult situation.
- Your loved one has developed dementia and other serious complications that you can’t deal with on your own.
- Your loved one has become aggressive and harder to handle without professional assistance.
- You are worried that your loved one could wander off and put themselves in serious danger if they are not watched around the clock.
- You worry that it may simply not be safe for them to live at home anymore. Remember that many daily tasks — cooking dinner, taking a shower, etc — can become very risky as a person grows older. You need to make sure that you know they are safe.
These signs may mean it’s time to move them into an assisted living center but that alone is not without risk. Many elderly people suffer from abuse and neglect. If that happens to your loved one, it is very important you understand all of the legal options you and your family members have.
