To Move or Not to Move? That is the COVID question!
To Move or Not to Move? That is the COVID question!
You may be asking yourself, “is it time for me to start looking for a new place for mom and/or dad to live? I don’t want to just put them in the most convenient place, but how do I know it is the right time, and how do I know it’s safe?” Those are great questions that we would love to help you answer.
5 Signs That It’s Time to Move Aging Parents into Assisted Living
- Isolation: Senior isolation is a serious problem that can affect older adults’ overall health and wellness. When seniors isolate themselves, they decrease their ability to participate in hobbies and social interactions with family and friends. Isolation can also result in more serious psycho-social conditions such as:
- Depression: The lack of community causes seniors to become depressed, which is correlated with diseases, such as dementia and heart disease.
- Unhealthy Habits: Isolated seniors develop bad health habits including unhealthy eating, drinking, smoking, and medication mismanagement.
- Mortality: Simply put, isolation is directly related to seniors’ mortality rate, according to a Nature study.
- Health Decline and Frailty: As seniors age, the likelihood they develop a chronic medical condition increases. Outside of chronic conditions, the potential for a serious “health crisis.” If your loved one has fallen and struggled to get up on more than one occasion, it is a sign of more falls to come.
- Managing Finances: Many aging seniors have less of an ability to keep up with the financial responsibilities.
- A Messy House: A common warning sign that it is time to move, is an untidy and odorous living space.
- Poor Hygiene: One serious sign that it is time to move to an assisted living is poor hygiene. Some signs include infrequent bathing and laundry, unkempt hair, dirty nails and a bad odor.
Once you have determined that it may be time to find a new home for your loved one, you may now be worried about the safety of doing so during this unprecedented COVID time. While it may seem that group environments like assisted living facilities are not the right choice right now, for many, it’s still the best option. Considering the enhanced safety measures senior living communities are taking, moving into a senior community may make more sense than living alone and not getting adequate care.
Possible benefits of a senior living community are
- Have doctors visit your loved one in the comfort of their home/room.
- A nurse on staff is available as needed.
- Have food and beverages readily available without having to shop. Three prepared meals/day, including snacks and drinks.
- Have medications delivered.
- Ensure your loved one has all necessary personal hygiene supplies.
- CONTINUE to check on loved ones.
- Stay socially engaged. Many programs provide social interaction while maintaining physical distancing.
- Stay in contact with friends and family while social distancing.
- Ensure those caring for your loved one are not sick.
The coronavirus pandemic highlights the importance of carefully filtering out communities that don’t maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and preventative safety measures.
There are many choices in Senior Living, making an informed decision is knowing ALL your options. We at Premier Senior Consultants offer a NO COST referral service to help you explore all the safest living options that best meet a senior’s needs and preferences.
Information for this blog was, in part, taken from the following sites:
https://www.altamontespringsseniorliving.com/senior-living/fl/altamonte-springs/covid-19-response
https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living-and-covid-19/