Elder Care Zone - Caring for the Elderly, Elder Health Care Services, Elder Home Care and More
    (Add to Favorites  |  View All Articles  |  Resource Directory)

How to decide if your loved one needs assisted living


When Assistance with Long Term Care Becomes Necessary


According to the Administration on Aging, it is estimated by 2030, the older population will more than double to approximately 71.5 million. It is also estimated that between 39 to 49 percent of people will use nursing home services during their lifetime. Unfortunately, there may come a time when your loved one may require assistance with long term care. The following is a list of warning signs one should be aware of when evaluating your loved one's situation. If the senior exhibits two or more of these signs, assistance is likely required:

? When your loved one or their spouse can no longer provide care due to debilitating health conditions

? When your loved one experiences difficulty with walking, or is unsteady when standing

? When your loved one's safety is compromised due to hazards in the home such as stairs, poor lighting, cluttered walkways, and dangers in the kitchen or bathroom

? When your loved one needs assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation

? When your loved one becomes confused about taking their medications

? When your loved one is afraid of falling or being alone

? When your loved one exhibits changes in personality or has sudden mood swings

? When your loved one is no longer able to manage their finances and requires assistance with administering their monthly household expenses

If you feel assistance with long term care may be necessary, have a discussion with your loved one and talk to them about their concerns and desires. It's important to help your loved one maintain their independence for as long as possible. Your loved one should be involved in the decision making process as long as their decisions do not negatively impact their health and safety. Talk with other family members and get their input as well. If necessary, discuss your concerns with your loved one's physician, attorney or financial advisor, and make sure all aspects of their long term care needs have been met. It's never too early to be concerned about your loved one's long term care needs. Being aware of their needs and continually reevaluating their situation will help ensure the long term needs of your loved one will be met.

________________________________________________________________________

You have permission to use this article as long as the author's full bio is present as well as any hyperlinks to author's website.

Torey L. Farnsworth, CSA has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth's vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Most recently, Torey served as Elder Law Director and Paralegal for a Phoenix based law firm where she provided assistance in a variety of areas including long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes.

Ms. Farnsworth currently owns her own senior care placement business called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families in Arizona. For more information, visit http://www.adultcarecentral.com


MORE RESOURCES:

News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News

Govt to spend $300m on elderly care - The Age

Govt to spend $300m on elderly care
The Age, Australia - Jun 27, 2008
The federal government will spend almost $300 million to free up public hospital beds by equipping frail, elderly people to move back into their homes. ...

Business showcase: Assisted living facility not too big, or small - Record-Searchlight

Business showcase: Assisted living facility not too big, or small
Record-Searchlight, CA - Jul 23, 2008
Owner Mary Burger, right, of Vista Hills in Redding takes part in a baking activity with residents at her assisted living facility on Kerryjen Court. ...

Call for regulation of elderly care workers after gagging - Wairarapa Times Age

Call for regulation of elderly care workers after gagging
Wairarapa Times Age, New Zealand - Jul 3, 2008
By Nathan Crombie The gagging of a rest home resident in Auckland has sparked an urgent Wairarapa call to regulate elderly care workers nationally to ...

Chattanooga: Elderly Care Needs Rise - RedOrbit

Chattanooga: Elderly Care Needs Rise
RedOrbit, TX - Jul 13, 2008
By Emily Bregel, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn. Jul. 13--Dr. Lorna Birch listened with growing awe as the 85-year-old woman in her office ticked off ...

Love on overload - Melbourne Herald Sun

Love on overload
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - Jul 21, 2008
SOME people might have been angry to read recently about the New York man accused of leaving his elderly parents in a sweltering car while he went to work. ...

New Film Exposes Bruce Wasserstein and Lazard-linked Elderly Care ... - eMediaWorld.com Newswire Press Release Distribution Service (Press Release)

New Film Exposes Bruce Wasserstein and Lazard-linked Elderly Care ...
eMediaWorld.com Newswire Press Release Distribution Service (Press Release), AZ - Jul 10, 2008
ACTION: Activists take to streets for 'Rolling matinee' throughout US to debut film targeting Lazard CEO NEW YORK, July 9 /eMediaWorld-USNewswire/ ...

Liberals promise to improve elderly care - The Kingston Whig-Standard

Liberals promise to improve elderly care
The Kingston Whig-Standard, Canada - Jul 9, 2008
ONTARIO HAS TO DO A"BETTER JOB" when it comes to caring for its elderly parents and grandparents, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday in the face of ...

Dignity charter bid for Chorley elderly care home providers - Chorley Citizen

Dignity charter bid for Chorley elderly care home providers
Chorley Citizen, UK - Jul 13, 2008
Home Care providers across the county, which includes those in Chorley, have joined Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Care Association (LCA) in ...

Emotion Runs High as Board Votes to Close Elderly Care Unit - KFVS

Emotion Runs High as Board Votes to Close Elderly Care Unit
KFVS, MO - Jul 8, 2008
PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill. - Pinckneyville Community Hospital's Board of Directors voted Monday night to close the Hospital's Skilled Care Unit that provides long ...

Entering a grey area - Bangkok Post

Entering a grey area
Bangkok Post, Thailand - Jul 20, 2008
It is quite common to hear government policies criticised because they are bad, but rare to hear them torn apart because they are too successful. ...

home | site map | articles
© 2006