It can be difficult to make the choice of sending your parent to a retirement home
The holidays have come again at last. With the abundance of seasonal joy and cheer comes a host of responsibilities: planning dinners, buying presents, making calls to distant relatives, and more.
For adult children of dependent parents, there comes the added responsibility of checking in on your loved one’s state of being this year. A holiday gathering is a good opportunity to analyze the situation, involve the family in important discussions, and make worthwhile New Year’s resolutions.
If you’ve observed any of the following from your senior parent, it might be time to propose retirement home living as this year’s resolution.
Falls
Despite a senior living in the shelter and privacy of their own home, even that doesn’t guarantee their safety from falling. For an aged person living with cognitive or physical impairment, many objects and surfaces in a home present a potential risk; for instance, a small olive oil spill on the floor, or a knee-high cabinet drawer left open.
Of course, the risk of falling multiplies dramatically when seniors step outside and join the city’s overflow of activity.
This is especially true in winter. Weather conditions must be taken into consideration. The relentless winters in Quebec put even the non-physically impaired at constant tumbling risk. If a senior experiences a fall, they might suffer serious debilitation.
Falls are the leading cause of injury – both fatal and non-fatal – among seniors. If your loved one has experienced a fall, it’s important to take available measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
An Unkempt Home
Your ageing parent always seemed to have a superhuman ability to keep a perfect house. However late at night or early in the morning your visit, no matter how short the notice, their place was consistently spotless from floor to ceiling.
Then, as the years roll by, you’re seeing less-than-superhuman level tidiness. It might only be minor slip-ups: a floor that can use a light brooming, some cookie crumbs lying unwiped on the counter, etc.
Or, the difference might be more noticeable: the dirty laundry is piled up, there’s a faint odour of garbage in the home, or they’ve left items strewn around walkways. The latter is especially concerning since mislaid items on the floor can lead to an at-home fall.
A dirty house is full of bacteria, and it presents health risks to your aged loved one over time. Perhaps more importantly, an unkempt home is a strong sign that they require professional care services.
Depression
As backwards as it sounds, the holiday season brings some people more sadness than it does joy. In seniors, the holiday blues can spring up for a number of reasons, such as:
- Feeling guilty over loved ones coming over on a regular basis to offer their care.
- Wanting to participate in holiday planning and event organization, but lacking the energy
- Being trapped at home most days due to freezing temperatures
- Loneliness
Everyone catches a spell of the blues every now and then, and it doesn’t only happen in winter. However, if you notice a prolonged sadness in your aged loved one, it might soon be time to have an important conversation.
Let Visavie Be Your Guide to Retirement Home Living
Transitioning to retirement living is no easy decision to make. However, leading an obstacle-ridden lifestyle at home due to one’s growing dependence is no solution.
A retirement home offers seniors constant supervision. It ensures an obstacle-free environment for retirement residents to walk through without falling. Their suites are tended to by caring maintenance staff, so they won’t be beholden to their chores any longer if needed.
Finally, for seniors experiencing depression, care homes offer a completely new living experience. They’ll have the chance to explore a new way of life in an unfamiliar, entirely safe environment. Your loved one might even discover their favourite activity among the facility’s curriculum, or they might make a dear friend who lives only a few units down.
If your loved one is weighed down by the trials of independent living, a retirement home can offer a host of direct solutions. If now seems to be the time for a transition, let Visavie guide you through each step.