When caring for elderly parents, many children instinctively want to keep them within the comfort of home. Although home care has benefits, it’s challenging to effectively and safely meet a parent’s wants and needs. Luckily, senior living communities offer a safe, welcoming, and personalized solution that can help elderly parents enjoy their retirement.
Finding the right senior living community for your elderly parent is a labor of love that requires a few key elements:
- Whether they can safely care for themselves, independently, at home.
- A thorough assessment of their physical and cognitive health and social wellness.
- The level of support they require in managing daily tasks, e.g. dressing, grooming, and meal preparation.
With structured support, access to medical professionals, built-in safety measures, and opportunities for adventure and socialization, senior living options go beyond what’s possible with home care alone.
Signs Your Aging Parents Need Help
The decision to explore professional care often stems from a series of realizations. It could follow a major life event, such as an illness, injury, or surgery. Alternatively, it might unfold over time as you notice changes in their behavior, health, or ability to complete daily routines.
Here are some signs that suggest it may be time for senior living:
- Declining physical health: Unexplained weight loss, frequent falls, difficulty walking, or worsening medical conditions can make living at home unsafe.
- Declining cognitive health: Forgetting to take medications, misplacing items, and confusion with familiar tasks or locations may indicate the onset of cognitive decline.
- Declining hygiene: Difficulty bathing, grooming, or repeatedly wearing the same clothes may risk your parent’s safety and health.
- Home maintenance struggles: Piles of unopened mail, dirty dishes left for days, or a generally untidy living space as a result of declining physical and cognitive health.
- Social withdrawal: Avoiding family gatherings, reduced communication with friends, or disinterest in hobbies they once loved.
These signs can put your elderly parent’s safety, health, and well-being at risk, emphasizing a need for a certain level of care. Senior living offers a welcoming and compassionate solution.
Talking to Your Parent About Senior Living Options
Although this conversation is rooted in wanting your parent to experience the quality care they deserve, it can be an uncomfortable conversation that’s difficult to approach.
Here are some tips for approaching this discussion:
- Honest and respectful communication: Approach this topic with empathy and compassion. Respectfully explain how their ability to safely live independently appears more challenging than before. For example, “I’ve noticed you’re skipping meals because it’s harder to prepare them. How can we address this together?”
- Talk about the benefits of professional care: Introduce the idea of senior living options by emphasizing how professional, community care can be challenging to replicate at home.
- Encourage input: Treat this as a collaborative decision. Involve and respect their wishes wherever possible by asking about their preferences, needs, and values in a senior living community.
- Review their overall health: Schedule a comprehensive medical assessment with their healthcare team. A physician can recommend daily care, mobility aids, and potential long-term care needs.
- Plan for the future: Evaluate your financial resources, insurance coverage, legal documents, and health care documents to facilitate a seamless transition into the community of your choosing.
All About Senior Living Options
Not all senior living communities are the same. The right community can significantly influence your loved one’s experience, enjoyment, and well-being.
Here’s some brief insight into the senior living options we offer within our Holbrook community:
Active Adult Living (Independent Living)
This neighborhood is ideal for older adults who are active and capable of living independently but prefer the convenience and social opportunities of community-based living.
What we offer at Holbrook Decatur:
- Private apartments in a community setting.
- Vibrant social atmosphere with fitness classes, events, group outings, and bucket list adventures.
- Maintenance-free living with housekeeping, meal plans, and transportation provided.
Enriched Living (Assisted Living)
Here, older adults will find that the level of care slightly increases in assisted living, which is great for those who are mobile and relatively self-sufficient but benefit from an extra hand with managing and completing daily tasks.
What we provide:
- Personalized support for activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, and medication management.
- On-site nurses and care staff are available 24/7.
- Programs and activities designed to encourage physical and social wellness.
Inspired Living (Memory Care)
Memory care is a specialized form of long-term care for people experiencing conditions associated with cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
What we provide at Holbrook Life:
- Personalized, daily-care routines to promote residents’ comfort and familiarity.
- A safe environment to reduce the risk of wandering, falls, and injuries.
- 24/7 trained staff who can handle and manage the growing care complexities of people experiencing cognitive decline.
- Specialized therapies and activities that stimulate cognitive function.
Tips for Making an Informed Decision
It’s a labor of love, but making an informed decision about your parent’s care can seem more manageable if you keep the following tips in mind:
-
- Start early: It’s never too early to research senior living options. This can prevent you from making an urgent, rushed decision.
- Evaluate their wellness: As you evaluate your loved one’s wellness, consider which senior living option is most capable of meeting their unique care requirements.
- Schedule in-person tours: If possible, visit prospective communities with your loved one. This will help you understand the environment, atmosphere, and amenities.
- Ask questions: Don’t hesitate to speak with staff during your tour about their approach and level of care. Ask questions such as, “What is the staff-to-resident ratio, how are emergencies handled, and how are resident’s care plans tailored?”
- Connect with residents: Observe how residents feel within the community; are they happy and social, or disengaged? Connect with current residents to learn whether they feel valued, appreciated, and cared for.
- Check reviews and references: Look up testimonials and ratings online or ask for recommendations from friends or medical professionals.
Find Support in Community Living
Caring for elderly parents begins with love, understanding, and making decisions that honor their needs and wants. Holbrook Decatur’s senior living communities empower older adults to live active, fulfilling lives while receiving the personalized care they deserve.
Through our WellFit fitness programs, our full service spa, our Steady Steps fall prevention program, our state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool, and many other world-class amenities, Holbrook Senior Living aims to help your parent enjoy their retirement years to the fullest extent.
If you’re ready to explore senior living options for your parent, we’re here to help! Connect with our Holbrook Decatur team to schedule a comprehensive tour of our communities!
