When is it Time to Consider a Care Home?

Watching a parent or loved one age is a difficult part of life. As physical frailty and cognitive issues gradually increase, your role as a carer can quickly feel overwhelming.

Many people struggle with the decision of professional care. It is often incorrectly perceived as “giving up” on your loved one or walking away from your responsibilities. But when care duties become constant, transitioning your loved one into a home is an act of care in itself. By doing so, you are ensuring they receive the specialised medical care and ongoing support they need to continue living a fulfilling and safe life.

Age-related changes usually occur gradually. This makes it difficult to know the exact time to consider care home options.

Physical Red Flags

Visible changes in physical capability are often the first signs that your loved one requires more assistance. If their daily tasks are affected by physical limitations, constant care will be required.

Unexplained weight loss.
If they are experiencing unexplained weight loss or nutritional decline, it is often due to an inability to shop and prepare meals properly. As memory loss increases, older people simply forget to eat or lose track of time, which can lead to sudden weight loss. Proper nutrition is incredibly important for older people to maintain a healthy body, support their immune system and manage existing health conditions.

Professional care facilities will provide chef-prepared, nutritious meals that remove this burden from you and your loved one. You can be assured that they will be given healthy, filling meals that will fuel their bodies through these difficult changes. With scheduled meal times, no meal will be forgotten or missed. Dining in communal spaces is also a perfect opportunity for low-stress, daily socialisation.

Neglect of personal hygiene.
A sudden neglect of personal hygiene shows a decline in completing basic daily tasks. Skipping showers and struggling with laundry show that simple daily tasks have become too exhausting. This can also be extended to their home. If their home is suddenly becoming cluttered and unsanitary, they will be struggling to maintain their home.

Care teams will provide dignified assistance with bathing, dressing and grooming. It is very important to promote as much independence as possible for residents, so our care teams will only support them where necessary and where desired by the resident. A scheduled daily routine of showering and washing will bring back some normalcy and structure to their hygiene.

Frequent falls.
One of the most concerning signs of physical decline is trips, falls, and unexplained bruises. If they become more frequent, your loved one may be unsafe living independently. They will need daily assistance with their mobility to ensure that they are safe.

Care homes are designed to make mobility safe and easy. Many homes will feature non-slip flooring, rails, stair lifts and wide corridors, which significantly decrease the risk of falls. You can also rest knowing that trained staff will always be there to respond to any accidents that do occur.

Cognitive Warning Signs

Although physical signs can be much more obvious, signs of cognitive decline and changes in behaviour are equally important to be aware of.

Medication management.
Many older people manage multiple medications daily. Memory loss can lead to them forgetting to take vital medication, accidentally increasing their dose or switching their morning and evening pills. This can have a detrimental effect on their health and existing conditions.

In care settings, medication is strictly administered and regulated. The trained care teams will have full responsibility for prescription medicine and will safely administer it at scheduled times. This eliminates the risk of your loved one accidentally damaging their health further through simple forgetfulness and memory loss.

Safety and disorientation.
This forgetfulness will filter into all aspects of their life, including their daily safety. This can include leaving their door unlocked or leaving the cooker on. They may even become disoriented in familiar local spaces, which is a significant indicator of advancing cognitive decline.

Care homes will provide a safe environment that allows for freedom without the danger of wandering to unsafe spaces or becoming disoriented in public when alone. Specialised dementia homes will feature clear visual cues that assist residents in recognising where they are and reduce confusion.

Increased vulnerability.
This cognitive decline does not just cause memory loss; it increases their vulnerability. This is inside and outside of their home. By clouding their judgment, confused people become prime targets of online scams.

Living in a care home will protect your loved one from exposure to vulnerability. Through structured schedules of daily activities and social outings, confusion is reduced, and a love for fun is reinstated. Many care homes prioritise activities that are cognitively stimulating and fight back against memory loss progression.

Caregiver Burnout

Being a part-time carer for your loved one is an incredibly taxing role to take on. As your loved one’s health begins to further decline, your responsibility will only increase. If you begin to feel as if you cannot provide the care that your loved one requires, it is absolutely time to move them into a care home.

Doing so will not only prevent your own burnout and exhaustion, but it will also reduce your anxiety. Relationships within the family may have become tense and strained with the stress of providing enough for your aged loved one.

By placing them into a care home, you can be assured that they are receiving the care, support and constant assistance that they need. You will have the time and energy to be a family member again, not a worried carer.

If you are beginning to recognise signs that moving your loved one into a care home may be the best option, you don’t have to navigate this difficult decision alone. Get in touch with our team, who are happy to have a chat and provide advice on the best options for your loved one.