Signs to look for:

• Memory: impairment of short term or long term memory
• Medication: forgetting or refusing to take medication. No medication structure or medication needs to be monitored.
• Meal preparation: unable to shop and cook. Unable to operate appliances, especially the stove, safely. Senior is losing weight and is too frail or confused to eat nutritious meals.
• Safety: unsteady gait or fall risk. The home is not equipped with grab bars, ramps if needed and an emergency response system.
• Personal hygiene: unable or unwilling to bathe, groom or dress appropriately.
• Transportation: unable to drive and does not have alternate means of transportation to doctors appointments, the grocery store, etc.
• Socialization: when the senior is isolated, and has little social interaction or stimulation.
• Home Management: when the senior can no longer pay bills on time or manage their finances and can not keep up with home maintenance, yard work etc.
• Fear: afraid to be alone.
• Judgement: ability to reason or make judgements is impaired.
• Supervision: needs increased supervision.
• Temporary respite care: needs short time placement to allow respite care for caregivers.

Senior Living Options - What To Consider:

• Independent Living - When cooking meals, housekeeping, yard work and home repairs become burdensome, many seniors move into Independent Living Communities to enjoy a more carefree lifestyle. They live in their own apartment but are offered a myriad of amenities such as a fitness center, restaurant-style dining, libraries, and social and leisure activities. The community offers peace of mind for seniors and their families yet enable them to enjoy their independence without the hassle of maintaining a home.
• Assisted Living - Seniors who live in assisted living communities are unable to live independently, but do not need skilled nursing. Assisted living are usually congregate or apartment-style living which provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, personal care, wellness and fitness programs and social activities in a supportive environment. There are 24-hour caregivers who can provide assistance with ADLs (activities of daily living, bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulation and toileting).
• Memory Care - Some Assisted Living communities offer a separate dementia care for residents suffering from memory loss. This is typically a “secure” memory care neighborhood with trained staff who are devoted to providing specialized memory care in a supportive environment.
• Board and Care Homes - These facilities are usually 4-8 bed homes which can provide hands-on care for frail seniors and seniors with limited income. They provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, personal care and include a limited amount of social activities.
• Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers - Also known as a Nursing Homes, these facilities provide 24-hour nursing care and rehabilitative services to individuals who need medical supervision. Sometimes seniors require a short stay for rehab and strengthening after a hospitalization before returning home or to an assisted living facility. Others require long-term medical care that cannot be provided in other settings.
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) - When an independent living community is connected with an assisted and a skilled nursing home it is called a CCRC. The resident can take advantage of the full range of services and transfer from one part of the building to another when their needs and level of care change.