Caring for a loved one is a commendable thing, however there are times when it may become too much for someone to handle. Perhaps the caregiver notices that their parent or loved one needs a lot more attention than have in the past. Or perhaps an accident or event has happened that finally got their attention. While everyone wants to be able to care for their family, there might be a time to consider assisted living. Here are some signs that might indicate that assisted living might be right for your family.
Daily Tasks Becoming Difficult
If your parent or loved one lives alone and has trouble doing daily tasks such as showering, getting dressed, grooming and day to day housekeeping, then you might want to think about assisted living. This can also include problems with feeding oneself, taking medication, or getting around the house. Assisted living will provide your parent or family member with their personal care and can assist them with day to day housekeeping activities, including meal preparation and cleaning.
Loneliness
When people work full-time jobs in addition to caring for an elderly parent, or if you are an elderly person who lives alone, you may feel lonely from time to time. Signs of loneliness can include but are not limited to being withdrawn from the world or depression. Assisted living helps provide a way to have companionship for someone who may be alone most of the day and is not able to get around on their own.
Costs
Even with health insurance, the cost of caring for an elderly family member can take its toll on any type of budget. This is especially true for elderly people who are living on their own. If the costs are becoming too great, that is when it is also time to start thinking about whether or not to go with assisted living.
Caregiver Fatigue
As much as people do not want to admit it, it is possible to get burnt out when caring for someone. Sometimes it gets so bad that you feel that you cannot continue. While the person may feel guilty, that feeling is normal and is perfectly okay. If you start to feel that perhaps being the caregiver is not the best route for your family member, then you should start thinking about going the assisted living route.
Choosing to put a loved one in assisted living is never an easy decision, however sometimes certain situations make it hard to ignore the possibility that it might be time. Home care Fort Myers In the end, you need to do what is right for your loved one, and if assisted living is that option, then it is definitely worth checking into.