As a family caregiver, your parent's health and safety is your highest priority. Unfortunately, there usually comes a time when a single caregiver can no longer meet all of the needs of an aging or ill adult. However, this sometimes happen so slowly that it may leave you wondering if a long-term solution for your parent's care is the right decision. As you reassess the current care plan, look for these signs that let you know that it is time to provide your parent with extra support.

Seeing Safety Hazards In Their Home

Many older adults are able to live independently for many years. Yet memory loss and declines in their mobility place them at risk for serious injuries or illnesses that can reduce their quality of life. Noticing things such as your parent forgetting to turn off the stove or tripping over clutter in the living room are signs that they may need help with their activities of daily living. In long-term assisted living, professional caregivers help look out for safety hazards so that older adults always have a safe environment in which to live.

Feeling Overwhelmed By Changes In Their Care Plan

It is also common to start out as a family caregiver with the best intentions of providing long-term care. Yet new changes in your parent's health leave you overwhelmed by the scope of the responsibilities that you have taken on. For instance, you may not be able to stay up all night to prevent wandering behaviors from your loved one with dementia. When you feel like you are in over your head, it is better for your parent to reach out for support from a professional care team who can help keep them safe.

Worrying About Their Emotional Needs Being Met

Older adults who live alone are at risk for becoming isolated. Although you can stop by and spend time with them every day, the truth is that they will spend the majority of their day alone. This can eventually lead to negative emotional health issues such as depression and anxiety. With long-term assisted living care, your loved one will have someone around them the majority of the day, and they can even participate in social activities that are designed for people with similar health changes and abilities.

Making long-term care decisions for your loved one is tough, and it is important to talk to others about the right type of care to meet your parent's needs. Watching for these signs is the first step toward making a change. Now, you can simply work with your loved one to find an assisted living home that allows them to thrive.