Recognizing When Your Older Adult Might Need Extra Help

Throughout life, we all get injured or sick from time to time. And though some of us fare better than others, sometimes conditions arise that can reduce our quality of life significantly. 

Ailments that befall us in our youth might be fairly easy to deal with. But as we age, certain conditions can cause our health and the ability to care for ourselves to decline drastically. 

For example, many residents in nursing homes no longer have the ability to care for themselves. And though many nursing homes do provide adequate care, there are also many cases of elderly abuse in nursing homes across the country, from Washington D.C. to New Mexico

As such, conditions that require senior assisted living in Los Angeles need to be diagnosed quickly in order to avoid having to resort to a nursing home as an option for care. 

Here, we’re going to explore a few conditions which may require your loved one to need assisted care. 

Dementia 

Mental health issues are often among the main causes for an elderly person to require assisted care. Even if you have no physical ailments, mental deterioration can cause you to lose control of awareness, including awareness of your own body.

Dementia is one condition that is still relatively difficult to diagnose. In fact, dementia is defined as a variety of illnesses that can cause significant mental health decline. Further, the more doctors and neurologists learn about Alzheimer’s, they have discovered that it is the most common cause of dementia.

A person with dementia may become confused often, forget where they are, who they are, or what common items are used for. As such, a person with dementia may be considered a danger to themselves or to others, especially if they’re to operate a motor vehicle.

If you suspect a loved one is suffering from dementia, make an appointment with a family doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Limited Mobility 

One of the more common ailments for seniors is limited mobility. And this is simply a term that means one cannot move around as freely as they once could. 

Though limited mobility might vary between moderate and severe degrees, one who isn’t able to move around or go from place to place will have to rely on assistance from others. As such, assisted living might be an option for a person with this condition.

But limited mobility doesn’t necessitate having to live in a nursing home. In fact, many elderly citizens with limited mobility have at-home nurses or are part of a hospice program. 

Additionally, others with close family or friends may care for a person with limited mobility in their own home, so there are several options if mobility has been compromised in some capacity. 

Terminal Illnesses 

Perhaps the worst condition to endure is that of a terminal illness. And these are conditions where a patient isn’t thought to live beyond a designated period of time.

Terminal illnesses include such diseases as cirrhosis of the liver, renal failure, certain forms of progressive cancer, congestive heart failure, and several others. 

When an elderly loved one has a terminal illness, he or she may be allowed to leave a hospital but only under certain conditions depending on the nature of their condition. As such, assisted living such as hospice or at-home care may be required or even stipulated by a doctor or physician. 

Terminal illnesses also require a host of other obligations such as dealing with debt settlement, power of attorney agreements, estate sales, funeral arrangements, and the writing of wills and testaments which a close family member may have to handle. 

Assisted living isn’t the most attractive option for elderly care, but sometimes this becomes necessary in order to offer a senior citizen a better quality of life as their health deteriorates. And though nobody wants to see a loved one go through any debilitating health problems, choosing the right type of care should be a decision left up to the immediate family.