Today, when it comes to living options for seniors who need help with ADLs, people are spoilt for choice. They have enough choices to consider one depending on the needs, mobility, and health status of the senior citizen.
ADLs Defined
ADLs are the acronym for activities of daily living. These are the fundamental self-care tasks similar to the skills people generally master in early childhood. It includes walking, bathing, putting on clothes, maintaining continence, grooming, selecting the right attire, toileting and feeding. When your loved ones begin to age slowly, it becomes difficult to accomplish ADLs, thus taking more time for completion independently. There are some health issues like accidents or stroke that can affect a person’s ability to perform ADLs at times dramatically. In fact, with age, the human mind and body lose motor skills, balance, talent, and the keen awareness of the brain regarding the body’s signals. It is at this time they need assistance to accomplish the same. Recognizing a person’s limitations is the foremost step to creating a care plan/care referral to offer a level and type of assistance that is the most appropriate. Determining the required ADL care type will give you a clear idea of whether your loved one should be given care at home or shifted to a senior care community.
A Close Look at the Different Choices
Apart from apartments for senior citizens, there are many other options that people can explore, namely,
- Home Care Services- When the medical needs are minimal, and they mostly need help with their daily activities, the home will be the right choice. For promoting independent living, different types of support services are required. Other forms of in-home services include skilled health care at home, companionship, personal care, transportation, or home-delivered meals. Though aging at home will be a budget-friendly choice over living in senior communities, you need to modify to accommodate the seniors’ changing needs.
- Assisted Living– This will be an ideal choice for seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living. They will offer three meals daily and other activities like staff availability, 24/7 security, managing medications, bathing, dressing, laundry, and housekeeping. Besides, assisted living facilities for seniors also offer access to medical and health services and medical assistance or supervision. The fees may be inclusive of transportation.
- Nursing Home- They offer care at a higher level, which will support the interest and skills of a person in an environment that has been designed to reduce agitation and confusion. Akin to assisted living, a nursing home will offer help with bathing, grooming, dressing, and different other daily activities. Housekeeping, laundry, and meals are usually provided within a semi-private and private room in a residential-type setting.
The bottom line is to check the signs of your elders and then make the right pick.