How to Talk to Seniors About Assisted Living Options

For many caregivers, finding a way to talk to the seniors in their lives about assisted living options can be a daunting task. Adult children naturally want their parents to receive high quality care, and many believe the best way to provide this for their parents is to keep them at home as long as possible. However, the best level of care can often be provided at a senior living facility where there is a fulltime skilled staff and range of amenities and activities available to your loved one.

Caregivers should watch for these signs in their loved ones that indicate that it might be time to consider a senior living community:

• Decline in hygiene and/or mobility
• Poor eating habits or loss of appetite
• Poor memory or memory loss
• Lack of socialization, inactivity, boredom or depression
• Severe mood swings
• Sleep disruption or excessive sleeping

For those who are having trouble making a decision about senior living, some communities offer services that allow prospective residents to ‘test drive’ the community first. These services, like respite care, can allow seniors to check in for a short stay before making a longer term decision and help caregivers ease into a conversation about fulltime assisted living options.  

Respite care also offers a break for caregivers, allowing them to attend to their obligations and move back into a traditional child-parent relationship. Caregivers and seniors can also benefit from senior day and dusk-to-dawn programs for seniors who are not ready for full-time care. Senior day programs allow seniors to spend a few, or as many as 12, hours at the community to enjoy social opportunities, dining and a wide range of activities, avoiding the loneliness and isolation created when the primary caregiver is at work. Dusk-to-dawn programs offer overnight accommodations for seniors with sleep disturbances, confusion, Alzheimer’s Disease or wandering habits. 

When considering senior living communities, family members should look for communities that offer levels of care that can be customized to each resident’s needs and adjusted as their needs change. In addition to quality care, caregivers should also look for a community with a warm, home-like environment that residents truly enjoy.

Plantation South Duluth will host a seminar on how to talk to your parents about assisted living options on March 28, 2012, at 6 p.m. at their facilities, 3450 Duluth Park Lane, Duluth, GA 30096. Duluth residents and community members are welcome, and refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact 678-534-5075.