Today, when it comes to living options for seniors who need help with ADLs, people are spoilt for choice. They have enough choices depending on senior citizens’ needs, mobility, and health status.
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. At this time, they need assistance to accomplish this. Recognizing a person’s limitations is the foremost step in creating a care plan/care referral to offer the most appropriate level and type of assistance. 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 medical needs are minimal, and seniors mainly need help with daily activities, home is the right choice. Different types of support services are required to promote independent living. Other 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 must modify it to accommodate the seniors’ changing needs.
- Assisted Living—This is ideal for seniors who need assistance with daily living activities. Assisted living facilities offer three meals daily and other activities like staff availability, 24/7 security, medication management, bathing, dressing, laundry, and housekeeping. Besides, they offer access to medical and health services and medical assistance or supervision. The fees may include transportation.
- Nursing Home—They offer care at a higher level, supporting a person’s interests and skills in an environment designed to reduce agitation and confusion. Akin to assisted living, a nursing home offers help with bathing, grooming, dressing, and other daily activities. Housekeeping, laundry, and meals are usually provided in semi-private and private rooms in a residential-type setting.
The bottom line is to check the signs of your elders and then make the right pick.
