Assisted Living in Georgia: When Is It Time To Consider Placing A Loved One into Assisted Care

Assisted living in Georgia… it’s a subject many of us have had to consider…

Most people I’ve explored the subject with – I include myself too – would love to stay in the comfort of our own homes as we age and pass on to the next life. We would love to be surrounded by loved ones. Additionally, we would like our passing to be pleasant. And of course, we don’t want to be a burden on our family and loved ones.

However, when it comes to assisted living in Georgia, no one knows for certain how our lives will unfold.

We tend to put plans in place that account for the worst-case scenarios and then hope for and expect the very best.

As more and more people are living longer, many of us are faced with caregiving for our elderly parents and loved ones. Very often, the decline in physical and mental capacities challenges even the most loving and willing family members who take on the role of caregivers. There may come a time when the benefits no longer outweigh the toll taken on the caregiver as well as the elderly loved one.

If the answer to most of the following questions comes up as a “yes” it is time to seriously consider putting your loved one in assisted living. Or it’s time to have a fulltime paid caregiver helping you. I’ve put the three questions that I consider most telling first.

Does your loved one require help with activities of daily living?

Bathing, getting dressed, feeding themself, these are examples of daily activities that many elderly people require help with that can take a toll on unpaid family caregivers. Also taking the correct medications at the correct time is an enormous issue among the elderly. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 350,000 people are hospitalized each year due to misuse of prescriptions.

Does your loved on need more opportunities for socialization?

Isolation can be harder on the elderly than many people understand. Especially hard on those who have raised children and are accustomed to an active lifestyle.

Would your loved one benefit from care coordination?

If your loved one is under the care of multiple medical professionals and has doctor’s appointments that you are responsible for getting them to, this could be very challenging. Health care coordination streamlines medical care and communication by connecting seniors with a variety of health care providers, arranging for transportation, and keeping you, the caregiver, informed.

Other questions to ask yourself include: Would a lifestyle without chores reduce stress on your loved one? Is home maintenance more than your loved one can handle?
Does your senior family member lack access to proper nutrition? Can you continue to provide adequate care long-term? Have friends or family members noticed changes in you or your loved one? Does their physician recommend assisted living?
Is your own mental and physical health suffering?

When it comes to assisted living in Georgia, assess your loved one’s condition early and often.

Don’t wait until you are desperate for help with your loved one. Take time to explore the options before it’s too late. One of the most important things to do as a family member caregiver is to make sure the financial affairs of your loved one are in order. Very often people don’t explore assisted living because they think their loved one can’t afford it. If that is one of your concerns, give my office a call today at 404-370-0696. Let’s see if there are ways that make assisted living or in home care viable.

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