Recognizing the signs can help you keep your loved one happy, healthy, and safe.

Let’s face it: having a conversation about assisted living with an elderly loved one is seldom easy. Look at it from their point of view. How would you feel about leaving the place you’ve called home, sometimes for decades, and admitting that you need some help to do things you used to do without even thinking?

But living alone can quickly become an unsafe situation, so it’s very important to know when a loved one might need a higher level of care, such as assisted living or senior housing. Some of the signs are quite obvious, but others are not, so we will discuss them in more depth.

Don’t Ignore Any of the Following Signs

The first sign that a loved one needs to move into assisted living or memory care is the diagnosis of one or more chronic health problems. These conditions continue to progress as we get older and can weaken the immune system. If your elderly loved one is seemingly frailer and more illness-prone, it may be a good idea to provide them with 24/7 care.

You should also be on the lookout for increased aggression or irritability. People who experience any memory issues often lash out verbally or physically at others. They don’t mean to, and it doesn’t mean they’ve suddenly become bad people; it’s simply a fact of getting older. But most family members don’t know how to properly handle such situations, so an elderly loved one experiencing these symptoms could greatly benefit from being cared for around the clock by trained professionals.

Mobility issues are another common sign that it’s time to look into senior housing. No matter the cause of the problems, you don’t want to be constantly worrying about your elderly loved one falling. Many homes are filled with potential tripping hazards. If your loved one has recently fallen or you worry about them falling and not being able to do anything about it, assisted living may be in the cards.

Finally, keep a close eye on your loved one’s medications. Many seniors are on several prescriptions, and aging may lead to memory issues and forgetfulness, which in turn can cause missed medication doses. If you notice more pills in the bottle than there should be, it may be time to consider assisted living.

Discover the Difference at The Landing at Cape Elizabeth

The Landing at Cape Elizabeth offers assisted living to residents of Cape Elizabeth, ME, and the surrounding areas. If your elderly loved one is showing any of the signs discussed in this post, we invite you to contact us to schedule a tour of our community. Our caring, trained staff will help both you and them feel right at home.