Determining the Need for Assisted Living in Crawfordsville, IN
According to a Today's Homeowner survey, nearly nine in ten American adults over 55 wish to grow old in their current home. For most of these folks (48%), the primary reason is to maintain independence. However, one in three also worry about being unable to perform day-to-day activities and living alone.
If the above applies to your elderly loved one, it's imperative to determine whether aging at home is still safe or if it's time for them to transition to assisted living in Crawfordsville, IN.
In this guide that our expert staff at Whitlock Place created, we'll explore when to choose assisted living care for your older family member. So please read on, as what you discover here can aid you in making a more informed choice and help your loved one thrive in their golden years.
Continuously Deteriorating Health
According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), almost 95% of seniors have at least one chronic health condition, while 80% have two or more. Heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis are just some examples of health problems that older U.S. adults face.
The NCOA also pointed out how having chronic diseases can restrict people's ability to perform day-to-day activities. Such restrictions can lead to physical inactivity, setting them up for even more health-related problems.
How Whitlock Place Can Help
If your elderly loved one has at least one chronic disease and their health continues to deteriorate, it's time to explore assisted living.
At Whitlock Place in Crawfordsville, IN, our highly trained and experienced staff delivers personalized care options for seniors. Our full-time and licensed care team works round the clock to coordinate care and ensure timely clinical oversight.
What Our Care Plans Can Do for Your Loved One
Our personalized senior care services, which include medication management, can support your loved one with chronic illnesses by:
- Gently reminding them to take the proper medications on time
- Ensuring they take their prescription medications as directed
- Monitoring their health condition
- Coordinating with their primary healthcare providers
With our compassionate and personalized care plans, we can help your older loved one live healthier and happier and have a better quality of life.
History of Medication Errors
A personal history of medicine self-administration errors (MSEs) is another of the most critical signs of needing assisted living care. Some examples of MSEs older adults may commit are:
- Not taking the prescribed medicine as directed
- Not taking the correct quantity or dosage
- Taking medicine on an empty stomach when they should have eaten first
- Taking medicine after a meal when their stomach should be empty
- Multi-dosing, which can occur if someone forgets they've already taken their medicine
- Taking the wrong medicine after confusing it with another
The more medications a person has to take, the higher their risk of MSEs.
Increased Risk of MSEs in Older Adults
Older adults are more prone to MSEs because many take multiple medicines. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, around one in three U.S. adults in their 60s to 70s use at least five prescription drugs regularly, per the U.S. CDC.
Medication Management to the Rescue
MSEs can be harmful because they can lead to adverse drug events (ADEs), such as overdosing, that cause unpleasant symptoms. At the very least, they can cause medicines not to work as intended, resulting in poor treatment outcomes.
So, if your elderly loved one has had multiple instances of MSEs, please take that as a sign they need extra help. As mentioned above, our expert care staff can give them the personalized support they need, including helping them manage their medication.
Signs of Self-Neglect
Self-neglect, the unwillingness or inability to meet one's basic needs, is a common problem in older adults. Seniors may face this issue if they live alone or have a health condition that restricts their ability to care for themselves. An example is if they have mobility impairments, such as arthritis, that make moving challenging.
Some of the most common indications of self-neglect are:
- Not paying bills
- Ignoring personal hygiene
- Not taking medications
- Not filling their prescriptions
- Skipping doctors' visits
- Undernutrition, which can result from not eating nutritious food or skipping meals
- Overnutrition, which can arise from eating too many high-calorie or fatty junk and fast foods
- Unsanitary living conditions (mess everywhere, sinks filled with used plates, dirty toilets, etc.)
If you notice any of the warning signs above, please speak with your loved one about transitioning to assisted living sooner rather than later.
The Dangers of Self-Neglect
Self-neglect is dangerous because it can lead to psychological and physical health consequences. For example, not taking medications can lead to poor treatment outcomes. According to WebMD, malnutrition (undernutrition, overnutrition, or both) also causes older adults to become more prone to illnesses and is a mortality risk factor.
What Whitlock Place Can Do
The expert staff at Whitlock Place can help your older loved one avoid self-neglect by providing them with compassionate, personalized support for their activities of daily living, such as:
- Bathing or showering
- Personal grooming, including maintaining their oral, hair, and nail health
- Eating healthier
- Maintaining the cleanliness of their home through weekly housekeeping and laundry services
Whitlock Place can also help your older loved one feel less isolated and lonely by giving them many opportunities to connect, socialize, and have fun. In our pet-friendly community, we have daily engaging activities and events, such as:
- Games like bingo, cards, and mahjong
- Entertaining films in our on-site movie theater
- Physical exercise and walking clubs
- Pampering manicures
- Educational classes
- Outings and excursions
At Whitlock Place, your loved one will always have many choices for social, recreational, and physical activities. Engaging in them can give your loved one a sense of purpose and belonging again and help them combat self-neglect.
Whitlock Place: Ensuring Quality Assisted Living in Crawfordsville, IN
If your loved one's health continues to deteriorate, they had multiple medication mishaps, or they show signs of self-neglect, please take these as warning signs they need caring, compassionate help.
At Whitlock Place, you can rest assured that your older loved one will have access to exceptional assisted living in Crawfordsville, IN. So, come and visit us today with them and their fur baby, and see why families in the area have chosen our community for their elderly family members.