Are you currently worried about a loved one who doesn’t seem to be managing well on their own? Perhaps you have noticed things that you once took for granted but are no longer able to do so. For example, mom has always been clean and well-groomed but now you notice that she has been wearing the same shift dress for several days and her hair probably hasn’t been brushed in as many.
After arriving for your daily visit, you bring in the mail only to see that she’s been given more than one final notice. If they aren’t paid within a few days, the power and utilities will be cut. It perplexes you knowing that her retirement and social security checks should cover her bills and so much more. This is where the reality hits home and you know it’s time to do something about her situation. Assisted living comes to mind, so you start exploring the benefits to see if this is what mom needs.
1. Help with Things Beyond Her Physical Ability
As you then start looking more closely at her living arrangement, you also notice she isn’t as tidy as she once was. The trash is overflowing, and the dishes probably haven’t been washed in days as well. When you bring up the subject with her, she grudgingly admits that she is afraid of falling in the shower and she has trouble lifting the bags into the trash bin outside. It is at that point that you begin to understand that your mother might be a candidate for the kind of assisted living care she could get at one of these Monarch communities.
2. Providing Much-Needed Companionship
As you begin to fully look at the life your mother is living you realize it has been years since dad passed and mother just hasn’t been in touch with any of the ‘old crowd.’ She no longer plays poker with the neighbors down the street, but how could she? They play teams and half of hers is gone. Even activities safe for those with limited mobility like fishing or walking around the block are out of the question without the companionship of a friend. By transitioning to assisted living, mom would once again find a community of her peers to socialize with as well as the help staying clean and groomed. Companionship is one benefit too important to ignore!
3. Help Managing Lifestyle and Finances
As for those bills you noticed in the day’s mail, you begin looking into why they weren’t paid timely. It’s gone way beyond this month’s accounts. However, you then notice that mom has all kinds of random things lying about – things she’d never even have used before so why did she even order them? They are obviously new and still in the original packaging. She says that she ordered that deep fryer because she wants to start frying her own chicken, and the list goes on.
Mom has most definitely become a hoarder and also has developed an inability to manage her finances. Besides, mom can’t even keep up with the dishes so how can you trust that she could safely deep fry anything? It truly is time to consider getting mom into an assisted living residence where you can still visit her frequently, but she’ll have services to help her in her daily life and friends to share that life with.
At this point, it’s a no brainer and would you believe it? Mom agrees!
