While some older adults may prefer to age in place, there can come a time where a health condition or cognitive impairment presents certain risks when aging at home. This is when you may want to consider the move to a retirement community in your loved one’s best interests.
In this article, we share with you four risks that may occur when your loved one ages in place.
Poor Nutritional Habits
After a lifetime of cooking for a full house, your loved one may not have any motivation to prepare their own nutritionally balanced meals. Otherwise, they may find it hard to get out and about, such as going grocery shopping. When that’s the case, you may find that your loved one suffers from poor nutritional habits, constantly turning to processed foods on microwave meals for convenience.
Some solutions to this include going grocery shopping for or with your loved one, getting a meal delivery package, or making the move to a retirement community with a catered dining program.
Not Taking the Right Dose of Medication at the Right Time
Does your loved one have several prescription medications they need to take? One important thing is remembering to take the right ones at the right time. In other cases, they may accidentally or unknowingly under- or overdose, which can result in negative side effects or make the drugs ineffective.
If you are able to pop by their home regularly, you may be able to package their medications in a way that makes it easier to remember. Another alternative would be making the move to an assisted living community, where a 24/7 onsite team can cater to your loved one’s medication management needs.
An Unclean Living Environment
Does your loved one have a mobility limitation or visual impairment that makes it hard to attend to household chores? Instead of compromising their own safety, you may find that your loved one is living in an unclean living environment that’s not conducive to health and wellness. Here, you may decide to engage some help to take care of the household chores, or you can consider residential long-term care options for your loved one.
Social Isolation
Even if your loved one appears to be doing relatively well, social isolation can be an invisible killer. Did you know that social isolation can increase the risk of developing cognitive impairment as well as a cardiovascular disease?
If your loved one finds it hard to access opportunities where they can interact with their peers, consider signing them up for a class or making it a point to take them out regularly. This can be because their mobility limitation makes it hard for them to leave the house, or they are facing a mental roadblock.
In a residential assisted living community, you can be sure that there are plenty of activities and events ongoing all the time, giving our residents no chance to become socially isolated!
