Donald never imagined he would be at an assisted living facility. He simply didn’t see the reason, not at his age, because of the fact that he owned his house and he could come and go as he pleased. Donald, like so many other seniors, had a number of misconceptions about elderly care at assisted living, including what it was, what it offered, and the freedom and independence residents still have when they live there.
May is National Mental Health Month and for many seniors — including adults of all ages in the United States — anxiety is a very real concern. It can be so debilitating that an elderly person may no longer go outside, they start to fear visitors or phone calls, and essentially shut down. This might not fully describe your elderly mother or father, spouse, or other loved one at this stage in their life, but they may be on their way. In the meantime, home care is a topic to discuss. Many people assume the best option for everyone is to remain home, but that may not always be the case, especially when anxiety and stress are building. For those individuals, assisted living facilities could very well be a great short-term solution.
Your father has been struggling ever since your mother passed away. His health has been in decline, his physical abilities are diminishing, and you have been doing the best you can to support him, but you can’t keep up this pace for long. You need some type of elder care support he can agree to.
April is National Pet Month and when an elderly senior, like your parent, may require more than what companion home care could offer or any other type of care, assisted living is a great option. Some assisted living communities will provide short-term stay options, so your senior could see exactly whether or not this would be optimal for them for elderly care services at this stage in their life. If they have a pet, like a beloved cat, this often leads people to assume they can’t consider assisted living, at least not at this time.
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