When Is the Right Time to Move a Loved One Into Assisted Living?

Deciding when to move a loved one into an assisted living community is never an easy decision. Many families struggle to determine the right time, balancing concerns about safety, independence, and quality of life. While some seniors choose assisted living to receive help with daily activities, others move to combat loneliness, improve their social lives, or ensure they are taking medications properly. Recognizing the key indicators that assisted living may be the best option can help families make informed, compassionate choices.

Signs That It’s Time to Consider Assisted Living

1. Difficulty with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Basic self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and meal preparation can become increasingly difficult with age. According to the CDC, 13.4% of adults aged 75+ required personal care assistance in 2023. If your loved one is struggling with ADLs and requires frequent help, assisted living can provide the support they need while maintaining their dignity and independence.

2. Medication Mismanagement

Medication errors are a serious concern for seniors, with the CDC reporting that 600,000 adults over 65 visit emergency rooms each year due to prescription misuse. Assisted living communities offer medication management services, ensuring that residents take the right medications at the correct times. This reduces the risk of missing doses or accidental overdoses.

3. The Need for Moderate Care, But Not a Nursing Home

Seniors who require assistance with daily tasks but do not have complex medical needs are ideal candidates for assisted living. Those experiencing cognitive decline but not in need of full-time supervision may also find assisted living beneficial. However, if a senior has advanced dementia, requires ongoing medical procedures, or has multiple serious medical conditions, a skilled nursing facility may be a better fit.

4. Increased Loneliness and Social Isolation

Social isolation and loneliness can significantly impact a senior’s mental and physical well-being. Assisted living communities provide opportunities for socialization, group activities, and companionship, helping seniors stay engaged and active. Residents can participate in fitness classes, game nights, and social outings, reducing feelings of loneliness and depression.

5. Care Coordination Challenges

Managing doctor’s appointments, physical therapy sessions, and other healthcare needs can be overwhelming for family caregivers. Assisted living communities simplify this process by offering on-site healthcare services, transportation to medical appointments, and care coordination between providers, ensuring seamless support for seniors.

6. Home Maintenance Becomes Overwhelming

If a loved one’s home is consistently messy, repairs are being neglected, or daily chores such as laundry and cleaning become burdensome, it may be time to consider assisted living. These communities provide housekeeping services, meal preparation, and general maintenance, allowing residents to focus on enjoying life rather than managing a household.

7. Poor Nutrition and Meal Challenges

Seniors living alone may struggle with grocery shopping, meal preparation, and maintaining a balanced diet. In assisted living, residents receive nutritious, chef-prepared meals that cater to dietary needs while fostering social dining experiences. Special dietary accommodations, such as low-sodium or diabetic-friendly meals, ensure that seniors maintain their health.

8. Caregiver Burnout

Family caregivers often devote significant time and energy to supporting a loved one. However, caregiving can take a toll on physical and emotional well-being. If caregiving is causing stress, exhaustion, or impacting relationships, transitioning to assisted living can provide relief while ensuring that the senior receives quality care.

9. Safety Concerns at Home

Many homes are not designed for aging individuals. Stairs, narrow hallways, poor lighting, and bathroom hazards can increase the risk of falls and injuries. Assisted living communities are designed with seniors’ safety in mind, featuring wide hallways, walk-in showers, personal alert systems, and non-slip flooring.

10. A Doctor Recommends Assisted Living

If a trusted physician or healthcare professional suggests assisted living as a beneficial option, it’s important to take their advice seriously. Medical professionals can provide an objective assessment of a senior’s health, safety, and care needs.

11. Increasing Care Needs Beyond What Family Can Provide

If a senior’s needs surpass what family members or home caregivers can reasonably manage, it may be time for assisted living. This transition can ensure that they receive consistent, high-quality care while preserving family relationships.

Next Steps: Transitioning to Assisted Living

Once you’ve determined that assisted living is the right choice, consider the following steps:

• Discuss the Move with Your Loved One: Have an open, honest conversation and involve them in the decision-making process as much as possible.

• Assess Financial Options: Review available financial resources, including long-term care insurance, savings, and veteran benefits, to determine affordability.

• Tour Communities: Visit assisted living communities to assess the environment, staff interactions, services, and overall atmosphere.

• Plan the Move: Help your loved one downsize and organize their belongings to create a comfortable living space in their new home.

How Legacy Senior Living Can Help

At Legacy Senior Living, our vision is transforming the aging process through the comfort of home through our core values of community, support, dignity, energy, compassion, and empathy.

We are not big; we are not formal. We are a Senior Living Home licensed with the state of Oklahoma as an Assisted Living Facility. Our mission is to walk alongside our residents and their families throughout the aging process by providing personalized, compassionate care in a warm, lively home. We do this by aligning teams to support families through the aging process.

What sets us apart?

• Personalized Meals tailored to each resident’s preferences and dietary needs.

• Almost 1-on-1 Care provided by a dedicated team, including a Mom and a Physician Assistant who has personally experienced the journey of caregiving in her own family.

We invite you to come visit and experience Residential Assisted Living and what makes Legacy Senior Living a special place.  Call us today at (405) 438-3157‬ to learn more or visit www.LegacySeniorHomes.com and take the first step.

Estate Planning Check List

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Here is a quick checklist of things to consider before your family needs additional support during the aging process.

If you have any questions give us a call at ‭(405) 438-3157‬ and we are happy to provide referrals to our good friends at The Bethany Law Center or Evan’s and Davis.

Wills and Trusts:

• Ensure they have an updated will or trust that clearly outlines their wishes regarding assets, properties, and beneficiaries.

1. Power of Attorney (POA):

   • Discuss designating a trusted person as a durable power of attorney for healthcare and finances.

2. Healthcare Directives:

   • Discuss and document healthcare directives outlining their medical preferences in case they're unable to make decisions.

3. Financial Planning:

   • Review their financial situation, including savings, investments, debts, and retirement accounts.

4. Insurance Coverage:

   • Check their health insurance, long-term care insurance, and any other policies to ensure adequate coverage for assisted living expenses.

5. Property and Asset Distribution:

   • Discuss how properties and assets will be managed or distributed if they move into assisted living.

6. Digital Assets and Accounts:

   • Compile a list of digital accounts, passwords, and instructions on managing these in case of incapacity.

7. Funeral and End-of-Life Preferences:

   • Understand their preferences for funeral arrangements, burial or cremation, and any specific wishes they have.

8. Review Legal Documents:

   • Gather and review important legal documents, such as property deeds, titles, and marriage certificates.

9. Discuss Care Preferences:

   • Understand their preferences for care in assisted living, including any specific needs or preferences they have.

10. Family Discussions:

    • Encourage discussions among family members to ensure everyone understands and respects their wishes.

11. Professional Consultation:

    • Consider consulting a legal or financial professional specializing in elder law or estate planning for guidance.

Initiating these conversations might be challenging, but it's vital for everyone's peace of mind and to ensure their wishes are understood and honored.

Achieving Proper Nutrition for Seniors: The Necessity of Meal Planning

Today we are highlighting a great resource written by Alexandra Gregg a registered dietician and published by one of our industry partners SeniorAdvice.com. Alexandra highlights the second pillar we have posted about which is the importance of Food in the aging process. The below will highlight the benefits of proper nutrition and how it will improve the aging process. This is why Legacy has a registered dietician review all our menus with our Physician Assistant, to evaluate residents’ preferences and how their medications may affect their hunger to ensure they are receiving the proper nutrition and managing things like fall risk. The last item worth noting is food is an important tool in managing inflammation which is a leading cause of early-onset dementia. If you have questions make sure to reach out to Katie today either at info@LegacySeniorHomes.com or ‭(405) 438-3157‬ and she can help personalize an ‘Aging with Grace’ plan for your family.

Reposted from SeniorAdvice.com (https://www.senioradvice.com/articles/senioradvice-meal-planning)
The scenario proves all too common. A man - sixty-five and living alone, always fretting over the ever-rising costs of living and his ever-stagnant savings - stands in his kitchen, peering at the meager contents shoved inside the cupboards. It’s a series of canned consumables, all cheap to purchase and easy to prepare. They’re also all stuffed with empty calories, delivering none of the nutrition he needs.

He spares no thought for this, however. Instead, he just reaches for a can and continues the routine he’s created - one of quick meals, low prices, and a perpetual thrum of discontent.

An unfortunate trend has recently emerged among seniors: malnutrition. Diets are improperly balanced, with men and women receiving too few of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins needed to sustain their well-being. This has led to a sharp increase in health concerns (as well as early mortalities).

It becomes crucial, therefore, for caregivers and community workers to provide nutritional options for seniors.

The Rise of Senior Malnutrition

Malnutrition has become a (regrettable) part of many senior lives. According to the Journal of Nursing, its reach is considerable, affecting more than half of the total population:

• Up to 10% of those living in community or neighborhood settings.

• Up to 60% of those who are hospitalized.

• Up to 85% of those living in long-term care facilities.

These statistics are worrisome - especially when paired with the knowledge of an impending population boom. By 2030, the National Center for Biotechnology Information predicts that there will be approximately 72 million seniors in the United States alone. This will trigger a rise in malnutrition rates, as well as a greater need for proper meal planning.

The Causes of Senior Malnutrition

Much confusion abounds about the definition of malnutrition, with many individuals equating it with starvation (this is why it's often undiagnosed, with ample access to food leading relatives, community workers, and other caregivers to think the situation acceptable). This is not the case. Instead, it's simply an unhealthy or inadequate diet - one punctuated by foods that offer no value to a senior’s well-being.

The causes for this issue are as plentiful as they are varied. The Journal of Nursing notes that many seniors struggle to maintain healthy eating habits due to:Physical Limitations (including poor dentition, which impacts the ability to chew or swallow; loss of taste acuity, which renders most food unappealing; and loss of mobility, which interferes with the capacity to prepare meals).

• Financial Limitations (including fixed incomes, which don’t accommodate dietary needs; and limited access to food stamp programs and other supplemental sources).

• Psychological Limitations (including early satiety, which creates feelings of fullness, even when little or even no food has been consumed; and dementia, which interferes with the ability to maintain regular eating schedules).

• These factors significantly impact the elderly population and leave many struggling to maintain healthy diets. Overall nutritional intakes plummet dangerously - and this leaves individuals more susceptible to ill health.

The Dangers of Senior Malnutrition

With a decrease in vitamin consumption comes an increase in dangerous symptoms. According to a study conducted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, malnutrition leads to a series of health concerns:

• Impaired Immunity.

• Impaired Respiratory and Muscle Functions.

• Impaired Healing.

• Increased Infections.

• Increased Skin and Muscle Breakdowns.

• Increased Weight Loss.

These symptoms combine for an increased all-mortality rate, with CNN estimating malnutrition-related deaths to total between 2000 and 3000 a year in the United States. These numbers are shocking. They’re not, however, impossible to overcome. Proper meal planning can instead deliver much-needed relief.

Combatting Senior Malnutrition

The effects of malnutrition prove devastating. By establishing healthy eating habits for seniors, however, caregivers can effectively counter this issue - improving quality (and duration) of life. Utilize these simple, but crucial, suggestions for every daily routine:

Identify Nutritional Needs

As the body ages, it experiences a series of changes - including decreased metabolic responses, loss of bone density, and loss of muscle mass. These elements directly impact the nutritional needs of seniors, reflecting a need for smart dietary choices.

These choices, according to a study by Colorado State University, should include:

Increased Calcium

• Reason: To accommodate the body's lowered absorption rates.

• Foods: Low-fat milk, non-fat yogurt, cheese.

Increased Fiber

• Reason: To accommodate slow gastrointestinal responses.

• Foods: Whole-grain bread, oatmeal, legumes.

Increased Iron

• Reason: To accommodate weakened bone structures.

• Foods: Baked potatoes, beef, chicken.

Increased Vitamins A, B12, and C

• Reason: To accommodate lowered cellular production and tissue repair rates.

• Foods: Spinach, fish, sliced fruit.

Increased Folacin

• Reason: To accommodate reduced amino acid synthesis and red blood cell formations.

• Foods: Black-eyed peas, asparagus, avocado.

By fusing meal plans with these vitamins and minerals, caregivers can help seniors meet their nutrition goals as each ingredient promotes better health.

To create individual plans, caregivers should first assess the health of each senior. Consult with a physician to determine nutritional gaps (such as low calcium or a lack of iron) and be sure to verify the use of any medications. These may require adjustments to vitamin intakes.

Prepare Meals in Advance

The United States Census reports that 40% of the senior population experiences some form of disability - and the most common ailment is impaired mobility, with 66% of individuals having limited physical ranges. These limitations are the source of much frustration, and they're also the source of malnutrition.

Mobility issues - including difficulty walking, decreased coordination and decreased non-locomotor skills - decidedly impact a senior’s ability to prepare meals. Recipes that call for fine cutting skills or measurements become impossible to complete, and this causes a reliance on fast (but unhealthy) ingredients.

Caregivers must combat this by preparing meals in advance. Create delicious, sustainable options that require only quick transfers from the fridge to the oven or the microwave. Eliminate complicated preparation work for seniors by cooking, freezing, and then storing food. This can provide several days of healthy, low-maintenance options, including:

• Soups.

• Stews.

• Casseroles.

• Broths.

• Cooked Rice or Pasta.

When creating meals in advance, caregivers should remember the importance of portion control. Provide one-serving meals that heat more efficiently and promote healthy calorie intakes.

Adapt to Taste Acuity

With age comes a loss of taste. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, seniors often experience gustatory dysfunction (or impacted acuity). Lowered saliva production, coupled with altered cellular membranes on the tongue, greatly hinder the ability to enjoy ingredients. Flavors are no longer pronounced.

This proves a common cause of malnutrition, with many seniors refusing to eat the proper foods - simply because these foods taste unappealing.

Caregivers must adapt to this, fusing foods with bold flavors:

• Aromatic Herbs: coriander, tarragon, rosemary, mint, fennel, basil, anise, bergamot, sage, lavender, and hyssop.

• Spices: black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, dry thyme, cumin, turmeric, yellow mustard, and onion powder.

By utilizing aromatic herbs and spices, caregivers can bring out the full profile of every favor - making food, once again, satisfying.

Remember these words of caution: do not rely on an excess of salt to counter taste acuity. This will only interfere with each senior’s electrolyte balance, increasing blood pressure and raising the chance for a stroke. Compensating with high-sodium intakes is dangerous. Monitor portions carefully.

Choose Healthy Snacks

A lack of appetite - known as satiety - proves common among the elderly. This is an impairment that tricks the body into feeling full, even without food. This leaves many men and women unable to finish regular meals. They’re simply not hungry.

Small-portioned snacks, therefore, become essential: proving easy to consume and delivering the necessary nutrition. Provide seniors with healthy options throughout the day, addressing their dietary needs through:

• Pre-Cut Vegetables (such as carrot sticks or celery sticks).

• Pre-Cut Fruit (such as apple slices or orange wedges).

• Rice Cakes.

• Cheese Wedges.

• Hummus.

• Raw Nuts or Nut Butters.

• Sliced Bread With Jam.

• Protein Shakes.

• Pre-Cut Meats (such as slices of beef or chicken).

These snacks offer key vitamins and minerals without demanding large portions. They're ideal supplements for seniors suffering from satiety and promote a balanced diet.

Reach out to Community Programs

Serving as a caregiver is both undeniably rewarding and undoubtedly challenging, with many individuals unable to devote themselves completely to the task. As spouses, parents, and employees, their attentions are often divided - and this creates a need for secondary support.

When trying to create healthy meal plans for seniors, caregivers must rely on community platforms, such as:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): an option that provides seniors with electronic cards, allowing them to afford nutritious foods from local stores.

• Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP): an option provides seniors with a series of coupons, allowing them to purchase healthy foods from farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community agricultural programs.

• Meals On Wheels (MOW): an option that delivers pre-prepared meals to seniors, as well as provides essential companionship.

These programs connect families to the support they need, ensuring that their loved ones have access to nutritious foods. Certain income restrictions, age restrictions, or health restrictions may apply to these programs. Research them with care.

Conclusion

Malnutrition prevails among seniors. Its causes are widespread and its effects are devastating. By creating proactive plans, however, caregivers can improve the well-being of their loved ones.

• Identify all nutritional needs.

• Prepare meals in advance.

• Adapt to the loss of taste.

• Offer snack options.

• Rely on the community for aid.

Through these steps, the path to proper nutrition can be easily conquered.