A change in elderly care for a senior could be prompted by financial concerns, deteriorating health, or even a progressing mental illness. The decision to choose what degree of elderly care a senior needs is often as stressful emotionally as it is financially.
Watch Out For Danger Signs of Sub-par Elderly Care Services
Remember to look for the changes that experts agree are the surest signs that a senior needs to a change in their level of elderly care. Often that means a change in personality, habits, or temperament. This includes:
- Rapid weight loss indicating that the senior isn’t eating.
- Car accidents as a result of slow reflexes and deteriorating senses.
- Paranoia about neighbors, friends, or family.
- Disorientation about where they are or who they are with.
- Unexplained injuries.
- Failure to medicate regularly.
Discuss the danger signs with the senior and with a healthcare professional. Decide together on a level of elderly care that will meet the physical, financial, and mental needs of your loved one.
Levels of Elderly Care
The lowest level of elderly care available is a retirement community. These developments are designed with activities, amenities, clubs, landscaping, classes and homes, but also offer the support of medical care, transportation and food service as needed.
There are some retirement communities that offer continuing elderly care. All this means is that the retirement community has a variety of housing options and services all in the same facility.
As the elderly care needs of people living there change, they simply move to a different area of the development or facility. A senior could start out in an apartment living independently, then move to an assisted living unit when he or she needs help with daily activities. Residents can stay periodically in the nursing unit when they need ongoing skilled nursing care.
Assisted living is great for seniors who sometimes need help with certain activities in their daily routine. Though the residents do not always require help, there is care available all day, everyday. Most residences are apartment- or condo-style living.
The highest level of elderly care is offered by a nursing home. This option is best for seniors that need constant care, rehabilitation or therapy. These facilities are designed to feel like home living, but nurses and other care professionals are always close at hand to help. The environment is regulated by the state with programs like Medicare and Medicaid that help with paying the necessary costs.