Home Care or Senior Living Facility?

One thing I hear often from people is should I find someone to come in or do we need to move to an assisted living or other senior facility. It is hard to know what to do because for many of us we would prefer to keep mom or dad at home where they are now for a variety of reasons. So one thing I tell people to do is to write down the pros and cons of staying in the home and moving to a facility. Then I recommend asking some specific questions.

Are they eating healthy meals regularly or missing some?

Are the shopping for fresh food or letting old food sit in refrigerator?

Have you noticed any bruises or injuries they don't recall getting?

Are they taking regular showers and brushing their teeth?

Are they cleaning the kitchen dishes and taking garbage out?

Are they leaving appliances on?

Does the house have grab bars and other adjustments for elderly?

Are they remembering to take medication?

These are some of the main things to look for. If your answer is no to some of these you may want to think about whether or not it is time for more assistance to keep your loved one safe and healthy.