By Steven A Buttice
Last month, dad decided to walk to the store from his home in assisted living. Going out for a walk is something many do on a nice day, but this walk resulted in an eviction from his home in assisted living.
This gentleman, with the guidance of his family, moved into a nice assisted living community several years ago because he had early stages of dementia. As time went on, his dementia progressed, and this “walk” became more than just a walk. It actually put him in danger of not being able to know where he was or find his way back home. In fact, the facility staff found him on the street by the store.
So, this gentleman eloped, wandered from his assisted living home. The walk presented a danger for his safety, and the assisted living facility gave him 24 hours to find another place to live. While this action seems harsh, it was no longer safe for this gentleman to stay in a facility that is not a secured unit and has a code on a keypad for those leaving.
Last year, my column addressed seven mistakes to avoid when looking at assisted living. Failure to plan ahead was one of the seven mistakes. If a person has early stages of dementia, many times, they can live in a non-secured facility, but plans must be in place if he or she would act in a way that is a danger to themselves or others. The ultimate goal is to find the best location for quality of life possible for the resident considering the person’s health, diagnoses, personal history, personality, and finances.
However, it is always prudent to look to the future. What if a person with dementia would hit another resident or staff member? What if they elope? What if they simply cannot be cared for safely at the assisted living community? Plan for the next stage of life—what happens then?
Some health conditions have somewhat predictable futures. Chronic progressive pulmonary disease will lead to oxygen use and limited ability to move around; uncontrolled diabetes may lead to kidney disease or circulatory problems requiring special needs. Parkinson’s disease may result in future dementia. MS may result in the use of a wheelchair. Dementia or Alzheimer’s may result in wandering and so on.
If you are looking for a senior community for yourself or a loved one, look ahead, and monitor the care of your loved one. Watch for shortcomings or where your parent needs more help. Address those needs with the staff in a “care planning meeting,” and discuss what can be done on a practical matter to assist your loved one. Let your brain be your guide, not your heart.
Most importantly, enjoy your time today with your parent. However, plan for the next stage, if predictable, with some degree of certainty. This will save you stress, hours of calls, and possible mistakes. Mistakes in living arrangements cannot only be costly but also very disruptive of the resident’s life. So, make your best plans. Do your research. Ask for professional help.
If you would like a free copy of our article, “7 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking at Senior Living Communities,” contact our office. As you can see, finding a place for mom or dad to live may be a bit more involved than one might think at first glance. There are resources available. www.Medicare.gov now has ratings for many types of senior communities. Gather information before a crisis so that you can be better prepared if you need to make a sudden decision.
For more information, contact Living By Your Design, Inc., focusing on the issues of older Americans: legal, financial, free guidance for residential referral healthcare issues. Call: 309-285-8088. Website: www.LivingByYourDesignInc.com. Location: 809 W. Detweiller Dr., Peoria.
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