keeping the peace during a nursing home transition

No one wants to place their parent into a nursing home, but an assisted living facility is often a good option. This is especially true if your parent needs some assistance in their daily life but doesn't need constant nursing care. But how do you know when the time has come to find a good assisted living facility for your parent? The following are a few signs to look for.

Your parent is struggling to maintain a healthy diet

Nutritional meals often become difficult for people to prepare as they age. For this reason, they begin to eat simple, easy to prepare foods. This can mean foods the are convenient to eat but are not necessarily nutritious. They may have a tendency to eat the same foods all the time because they take little, if any, preparation. Some of these foods may be junk food, but even when they are not, eating the same food does not provide a balanced diet. Assisted living means having meals prepared for you and getting the nutrition that your loved one needs.

Your parent struggles with hygiene

One of the biggest issues with the elderly is bathing. Even a parent with a sharp mind may have physical issues that make it difficult to take a bath or shower without a risk of a fall. Knowing this, your parent may not bathe as frequently as they should. Their physical appearance may suffer, too. Their hair may not be combed or brushed as often. This can be due to limited physical movements of the arms and hands. Another issue is with laundry. You may notice fewer fresh clothes being worn. Doing laundry can become more difficult as you get older. Often, bed sheets are not being changed on a regular basis.

Your parent seems to have short-term memory loss

This can become an issue in many ways. At the top of the list are issues of safety, such as leaving food cooking on the stove because they forgot it was there. This can obviously lead to a fire. Or They may forget to lock a door or a window at night. This, too, can lead to a safety problem. But a short-term memory problem can also mean not taking their medication when they are supposed to or forgetting to take it all. Having someone to assist your loved one includes assisting them with issues related to short-term memory.

The signs mentioned above are only a few things to look for, but it is important to understand that your father or mother will not likely exhibit all of them. The point to remember is that an assisted living facility will help your parent in the ways that they require help while still allowing them to preserve much of their independence. For more information, contact local assisted living centers like Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living.