If your parent has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and you worry that they can't be left alone, it may be time to consider finding them an assisted living facility. There are many options for your parent so they can still feel like they have their independence, and so you don't have to worry.
With the Alzheimer's you have to worry that they aren't able to remember to eat, bathe, and to take normal safety precautions. You have to be ready to expect the unexpected. If you're struggling with the idea of getting them around the clock care, here are a few things to consider.
They Can Still Have Privacy
Your parent may be worried that they will be forced to live in a room with another person, that they'll have to eat meals in a group setting, and that they won't have privacy. There are many living centers that have partial assisted living options, where the residents live independently and are only assisted when needed. This means people aren't constantly walking in on them, and they may have their own room, entrances, appliances and more.
Safety Isn't a Worry
When your parent is at home without anyone caring for them, you won't know if they decide to leave the house and get in the car, or if something happens to them. If someone is monitoring if they leave or stay on the property and does a well check at certain point in the day, you don't have to worry about their safety. Your parent can get help right away if they fall, get hurt or have a medical problem, unlike if they were in a house on their own.
You Aren't the Caretaker
It can put a lot of stress and strain on the adult child when they have to be the one caring for the parent and monitoring their safety and health. Having your parent in an assisted living facility allows you to be the child, and it allows them to still have the dignity to be the parent. You don't have to bathe them, enforce rules and worry around the clock.
If you know that it isn't safe for your parent to be at a home alone, in charge of their own medicine, or responsible for themselves, it's time to have someone else, like Alta Ridge Communities, care for them. View multiple facilities if needed until you find a place you and your parent think could be a good fit.
Share21 January 2016
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