Change Can Be Good
By Dana Reber, LMSW
Age With a Plan, LLC
Fall and winter bring beautiful colors and colder temperatures. Unfortunately, the changing seasons also bring coughs, colds and flus. Any illness can cause a decline in overall health, especially with an older adult. Wet or icy conditions brought on by colder temperatures can increase the risk of falling. As the season changes, it’s a good time to evaluate your current situation and determine if change is necessary. Looking and planning ahead can help you maintain control over your decisions and prevent significant decline or a fall.
Weakness, fatigue and feeling low energy can increase your risk for falling.The National Council on Aging reports falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans (Fall Prevention Facts 2019). There are many ways to prevent falls, such as having clear and non-cluttered pathways, residing in an environment that fosters your care needs, eating well and taking prescribed medications as directed. While independent living provides some assistance, it is not set up to provide daily personal assistance. If you need assistance with your ADL’s (activities of daily living, i.e. toileting, dressing, bathing) you should consider a higher level of care.
The changing of the season is a good time to evaluate where you are and think about what is next? Are you in need of additional care? Are you having a difficult time getting around inside or outside your current living situation? Does your current environment meet all your needs? Are there adjustments you could make to feel safer?
Change can be difficult, but when your needs are met everyone can feel better and safer. It’s hard to ask for help, but with the right assistance you might find yourself with more peace of mind and more energy to do the things you want to do. Adjustment does happen and many seniors are happier after making the move to assisted living (Bursack, Feb 2019). Senior living experts say it typically takes between three and six months for some to adjust to assisted living (workingdaughter.com). Furthermore, several people report they wish they would have moved sooner.
There are times when individuals have to leave their community to obtain a higher level of care due to a traumatic or emergent situation. This can often be prevented by planning ahead, recognizing your needs and being open to additional help or change. Planning ahead and making changes before it becomes absolutely
necessary can help you settle into a new environment more easily and feeling more in control.
References
www.agingcare.com
Bursack, Carol. 2019. “The Emotional Toll of Moving your Elderly Parent to Senior Living”
www.ncoa.org (National Council on Aging)
O’Donnell, Liz. 2019. “Moving a Parent to Assisted Living: 12 Strategies to Ease the Transition”