5 Pros And Cons Of Placing Elderly In Assisted Living Homes

Deciding to transfer the elderly to assisted living homes takes a lot of courage and adjustment. Even elders willing to move into a senior living facility could make it hard to fully decide, as it brings waves of sad emotions like guilt. Thus, moving older adults into assisted living homes is a major life event.

But it's also important to note that assisted living homes are a great option, especially if you cannot properly care for elders in your home. At some point in their lives, it will be hard for them to take full care of themselves without constantly needing help. Thus, wanting the elderly to experience the best possible care by placing them in facilities that provide them with the support they need is not selfish.

So, before anything else, here are some pros and cons of transferring elderly parents to assisted living homes you must consider:

It's Costly

Given that your seniors would be taken care of properly, expect that there is also a price you have to pay for. Typically, assisted living homes in Alaska are considered to have the most expensive rate amounting to $6,830 per month. On the other hand, the cheapest monthly rate is offered in Missouri, amounting to $3,000/month.

The rate is not limited to this, provided they also give three meals daily, housekeeping services, laundry services, recreational services, emergency call systems, security, and medication management. So, ensure that you have enough budget to support their financial needs.

Cut off your unnecessary cost to help and if your elderly parent has some maintenance medicines, try to check for generic medicines to cut the cost. You could also visit health-related sites like BuzzRx.com to enjoy coupons, learn and save on prescription medicines.

Helps Monitor Medication

If you have an elderly who needs constant tracking of their medicine intake, leaving this to the staff at assisted living homes is a great advantage. Assisted living facilities have people who help in medication management and ensure that the prescribed medications can be taken at a regular time of the day.

Not only that, but these facilities could also help assist them with their doctor's appointments to help them stay healthy. Thus, for those who don't know how to care for their elders medically, you can count on the nurses on duty to evaluate their health status and assess if they still have medicines. There are also on-call nurses and trained staff to help in emergencies and ask for updates about the medical state of your loved ones.

Provides An Opportunity To Socialize

An assisted living home is not only a facility where elders are taken care of but also a place where they can socialize with individuals who go through the same change in their lives. Human interaction is essential for elders to help improve their mental health, decrease feelings of loneliness and boost happiness.

Also, most seniors tend to feel overwhelmed with the free time they suddenly have once they become old. So, it's best if they are surrounded by people who can relate with them and they can talk to them instead of spending days in-home care and not being able to share their thoughts and experiences with others.

Privacy May Be Limited

While seniors may love socializing, sometimes it would be hard to find a space to spend alone. In assisted living homes, staff members would constantly check on their seniors to help them with their needs. While this aspect may be part of their jobs, some seniors who've been in the facility for years don't enjoy not having their alone time, which makes them hope to go home instead of dealing with other seniors in their living quarters.

Some seniors may not appreciate the low chance of independence, especially staff members who have already decided on a basic schedule. So, it's not always good for seniors who don't appreciate being surrounded by a crowd all the time. 

Makes Daily Tasks Easier

One of the greatest advantages of assisted living homes is that they can help make daily tasks easier for seniors. As people age, it is harder to move around by themselves. The good thing is that facilities like this offer 24-hour care and support to ensure their residents' safety.

Some of the ways staff members could help are by helping them dress, bathing, feeding them food, keeping their beds clean, and even providing recreational activities to help keep their bodies active and strong. They also have suitable amenities in the facility to provide beauty-care services, pamper sessions, and other daily care essentials they may need.

Final Thoughts

Turning your elderly parent's life better through the aid of assisted living homes is not a selfish act. It's a way of considering providing them with the best possible help they need anytime and anywhere. However, you must be aware of the pros and cons of bringing them into such facilities to ensure they will be worth every penny you spend. So, check out the details above to move your elderly to such facilities.