After retirement, deciding to move to a nursing home or retirement community might be difficult, since you will most certainly be nervous about the transition. Caregivers are not left out of those nervy feelings.

It’s essential to realize the right time to start receiving regular checkups and senior care Brooklyn services to help improve your health and quality of life.

There are a variety of reasons why people may not want to go into nursing homes. Most caregivers are emotionally attached to their loved ones and are already used to taking care of them at home. Some may look up “assisted living vs nursing home”, and feel the former is better.

Also, some older adults think that personnel in nursing homes don’t have what it takes to provide good care for them while ensuring their happiness and welfare take the front seat.

Seasons Retirement is a reputed retirement company that prioritizes its residents’ health to ensure they are in perfect shape at all times. Check this post to know more about retirement homes and nursing homes.

In the meantime, read this article to discover when the time is right to move into a nursing home.

6 Signs It’s Time to Move Into a Nursing Home

As an adult who is gradually advancing in age, there are sure signs that will show when to move from assisted living to nursing home. They include:

1.   Recovering from a stroke, surgery, or an accident

If you’re recovering from these health issues, a nursing home is the best place to move, not a retirement community. Staying in a nursing home will give you access to regular checkups and care to help you recover quickly.

In addition, some in-home rehabilitation centers offer treatment for two to three days, while most good nursing homes provide care and therapy sessions for up to six days a week. To discover more benefits, check the comparison “nursing home vs assisted living”.

When you’ve recovered enough and need to be discharged, the staff will help you move back into your room. Therefore, to get the best care plans, move to a nursing home.

2.   Immediate  access to 24-hours skilled health care

If you require constant access to competent health care 24 hours a day, then it’s time to go into a nursing home. However, in extreme cases where your health conditions become more critical, care from other communities like retirement homes may not be so effective.

For instance, retirement homes majorly focus on older adults’ daily lifestyle and welfare. At the same time, some assisted living homes provide health care and transportation to your doctor’s appointment if need be. However, the care provided has limits.

In contrast, a good nursing home provides up to 24-hour access to health care. Care providers in nursing homes include occupational therapists, registered nurses, physical therapists, licensed practical nurses, and certified nurse assistants.

3.   Complex or cognitive health condition

Older adults with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, or advanced cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s may require nursing home care. Often, whether one should be in a nursing home or not depends on the level of care they need to manage their conditions and other challenges they face.

For example, if you need specialized medical care, you’ll know that the best place to move to is a nursing home to get complete treatment.

Also, this helps caregivers to decide the best time to move a loved one to a nursing home, especially if they have complications from diabetes, high (or low) blood sugar, and have little help.

In short, the higher the need for care and medical attention, the more likely it is to place a parent in a nursing home. If you have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you might choose memory care as an alternative to nursing homes.

In memory care communities, the personnel are trained to maximize the quality of life and help patients minimize dementia behaviours, such as confusion, anger, and aggression.

4.   Constant fatigue

If you notice that you get tired quickly and sometimes fall, that’s a sign that it’s high time you relocated to a nursing home.  Besides, as an older adult, falls pose a danger. Therefore, if you often fall, living alone at home is no longer safe.

It will interest you to know that staff in nursing homes have experience caring for older adults with mobility difficulties. Also, they usually have equipment designed to reduce safety hazards.

5.   Bedridden

If you can’t move around without using a wheelchair, you’ll need help using the bathroom, going to social events, visiting the hospital on appointment days, and more.

However, if you move to a nursing home, your needs will be met. A nursing home will provide you with all the care and assistance you need. All their staff is well-trained and friendly.

6.   If you can’t feed yourself or maintain dental health

Staff at skilled nursing homes help with a wide variety of ADLs. Most times, nursing homes provide for more advanced needs than retirement homes. Nursing home staff keep you relaxed and regularly assist you with feeding and maintaining dental hygiene.

In other words, the time to move to a nursing home could be when you’re unable to carry out daily chores. In addition, nursing home care includes dental examination, teeth waxing, and more to improve your dental health.

Caregivers: Signs That It’s Time to Place a Loved One in a Nursing Home

The points below should show you reasons to move your loved ones to a reputed nursing home in a good location.

1.   Unresponsiveness to treatment

Once you notice that the health condition of your loved one is getting worse, then you’ll need to move them to a nursing home. There is no comparing assisted living vs nursing home at this point, as the latter is the better option.

Obviously, relocating them to a nursing home will help improve their quality of life and health.

2.   Tiredness from carrying your loved one

You may have hurt your back or sprained your ankle after just trying to help your loved one sit up or stand up erectly.

3.   Lack of attention because of time restraint

As a person charged with the responsibility to take care of your ill loved one, you could move the person to a nursing home since you’re working round the clock.

4.   Financial burden

Generally, the cost of a nursing home is less expensive than in-home care services. Therefore, if you or your loved one can no longer foot the bills such as medications, transportation, food, utilities, and more, you should move your loved one to a nursing home.

Bottom line

It’s not easy to determine the best time to transfer into a nursing home. Nonetheless, keep all of the signs mentioned in this article in mind.

Inasmuch as assisted living vs nursing home have not been directly compared in this article, keep in mind the advantages of the latter.

If you’re already residing in a retirement home, be observant to know when you need more attention and a higher level of care. You deserve happiness and peace of mind. Most importantly, remember that health is wealth.

By Manali