By Beth Cardillo
Executive Director, Armbrook Village
Some elders and their families agonize over whether to move out of a beloved home to an assisted living community while others embrace the opportunity to set up a new home, make new friends, and have someone else handle the cooking and cleaning. For most the decision to move is based on the realization that a loved one could use a little extra help and would benefit from a wide array of individualized services, including personal care, medication monitoring and healthy meals, as well as new social outlets to combat the isolation they experience living at home alone.
The checklist
If you answer “yes” to four or more of the questions that are listed below, a move to an assisted living facility might be the perfect next step for your loved one.
• Is your loved one able to handle housework, yard work and home repairs on his or her own?
• Can your loved one shower and bathe regularly without help? Are you worried about his or her safety in the tub or shower?
• Are you afraid your loved one is at risk of falling? Have they fallen recently? Have you noticed a change in their walking, mobility or balance?
• Has your loved one fallen behind on bills? Is old mail piling up?
• Is your loved one able to schedule and drive to regular medical appointments? Are you attending physician visits to help answer questions or because they have a hard time remembering their doctor’s instructions or recommendations?
• Does your loved one sometimes forget to take medications?
• Is your loved one still cooking proper nutritious meals? Is he or she maintaining a healthy weight and getting some form of exercise?
• Do you worry about your loved one’s safety when they are alone? Do you worry if you can’t reach them by phone?
• Does your loved one find it difficult to maintain a social life? Do they make excuses why they don’t participate with friends or engage in social events or church activities?
• Do you think your loved one feels isolated, lonely or bored? Does he or she seem to be withdrawn, fearful or depressed?
• Has your loved one’s driving ability diminished? Are there issues with low vision, physical limitations or early memory loss that could affect their driving?
• Has your loved one recently been hospitalized? Are you concerned about them continuing their recovery at home alone?
Assisted living does not mean a loss of independence. Quite the contrary the goal is to maximize independence within an environment that provides choices, celebrates individuality, and allows residents to thrive.
There are a number of resources available to you if you are considering assisted living – or memory care – so do your research. Tools like a senior living expense calculator to help you determine if you can afford assisted living, a family guide to assisted living or memory care, and checklists for your assisted living tour are available online.
Beth Cardillo is the executive director of Armbrook Village, a senior living community in Westfield, Massachusetts.
