5 Signs Your Parents Are Ready for a Senior Living Community

Posted: December 6, 2019

As your parents get older, you’ll start noticing signs that they’re struggling to live on their own. Fortunately, they have the option of moving to a senior living community that will provide a safe and caring home for them. If you’re not sure if they’re ready for this step now, take a look at five signs they are.

Frequent Health Problems

One of the benefits of a senior living community is that you have peace of mind knowing your parent has immediate access to the care he or she needs. This is especially helpful if your parent has frequent health issues. For example, if he or she often forgets to take necessary medications, a senior living community is likely the right place to be. In addition, if your parent is often ill—or seems to take a long time to heal from every illness or injury—you’ll feel better knowing he or she is not living alone anymore.

Inability to Move Around Safely

When your parent struggles to get around, it’s time to move to a senior living community. Older adults who can’t safely drive anymore should have access to another way to get to doctor appointments, the grocery store, and more. And of course, your parent should be able to move around his or her home without incurring bruises and other injuries from falling. While safety features around the house should help, there comes a point when even handrails aren’t enough to help older adults get around their home, in which case moving to a senior living community would be the right choice.

Trouble Maintaining Their Home

Another telltale sign that your parent shouldn’t be living alone anymore is that his or her house seems cluttered, dirty, or downright unsafe. If you notice that major appliances or fixtures have been broken for a while, and there’s never enough food in the pantry or refrigerator, it’s time to get help for your parent. Every aging adult deserves to live in a clean, safe home, and if that no longer describes your parent’s house, look into local senior living communities instead.

Reduced Interest in Hobbies & Friends

If your parent is normally social and engages in a few hobbies, it can be worrisome when he or she suddenly refuses to leave the house and has no interest in the usual activities. If you’ve noticed this change in your parent, moving him or her to a senior living community may be the right choice. This type of community will have plenty of things for seniors to do, as well as caring employees who encourage residents to participate in hobbies and make new friends.

Difficulty Keeping Up with Personal Hygiene & Diet

Though some changes in an aging parent’s appearance are to be expected, sudden changes could be cause for concern. For instance, if your parent rapidly loses or gains a lot of weight, or is frequently wearing dirty clothes, he or she might be having trouble living alone. A senior living community would ensure your parent always has clean clothes to wear, takes regular showers, and generally keeps up with his or her personal hygiene.

If you’ve noticed any of these signs your parents are ready for a community, contact Cappella of Grand Junction today to find out more about our options for older adults who need a safe, comfortable home to live in!