skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities don’t require a physician’s prescription for admission. While each facility has their own admission process, most will:· Review your loved one’s medical history to get a complete picture of your loved one’s health· Perform a functional assessment to fully understand the potential resident’s skills and care needs· Develop a care plan to outline what type of care services will be provided· When is it time for assisted living? Some families may struggle with the decision to transition a parent to senior assisted living, but there may come a time when it’s no longer safe for a senior to live on their own. Moving can be very emotional, and it’s normal for seniors or family members to express that they’re not ready. “Then we ask, well, what does ready look like? Because that will be different for every family." Some families want to wait until their loved one requires a care need that they can’t meet at home, such as incontinence care. For others, they may want one last holiday season at home with their parent. “If they’re waiting for a crisis, they’re waiting too long,” says Gewirtz, who goes on to encourage families to be proactive. According to Gewirtz, many families work with A Place for Mom after having to make a quick decision on a community that turned out to be the wrong fit. “Be proactive, not reactive. Start touring now, even if you think you have some time to get Mom or Dad on board with making the decision. [That way] if something changed tomorrow, you’d have a viable option that you’re considering that will be a good fit for them,” says Gewirtz.
Being proactive will also likely be better for your parent in the long run. They can be part of the decision and move when
115
Powered by FlippingBook