Should Your Elderly Father Wait Until Spring for a Move into Assisted Living?
With winter in full bloom, the question for an aging senior who has difficulty with mobility, is facing certain health issues, or has other challenges might be: should he/she consider assisted living now? Some might think it’s better to wait until spring.
But, is that the right mentality to have? After all, spring is several months away. This aging senior may have an extremely difficult time with a number of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
Should he or she wait and continue struggling, continue living alone, continue feeling isolated, possibly even depressed because they can’t get out and visit with friends or do the things they used to do with ease?
Winter is a time when depressive symptoms may increase.
Because of the cold temperatures, snow across much of the country, and so forth, people spend more time indoors. That often leads to a tendency to become more depressed or experience depressive symptoms during the winter months than they do during the spring and summer.
Waiting until spring to discuss or even look into assisted living might actually mean this senior goes through more of these emotional ups and downs for several months. Is that necessary?
No, it’s not, at least not when they’re living environment is a significant contributing factor to those emotional struggles.
No one should diagnose another person with depression.
If you have concerns about a parent, grandparent, or other aging loved one exhibiting some depressive symptoms or mannerisms, encourage them to visit their doctor. There could be a number of reasons for this that stretch beyond seasonal or feelings of isolation.
That being said, if the topic of assisted living has come up in the past, but you or other people in the family have thought it better to wait until spring to talk about it more, put that notion aside.
Now is the ideal time for assisted living.
The moment an aging senior is having difficulty with mobility, can’t do the things they used to do, or are struggling to maintain friendships because of physical challenges, assisted living is a great idea.
There is no reason to wait. Just because the winter season has blown in with force doesn’t mean they have to wait. People move into assisted living facilities every month of the year. Moving in during winter might actually be a great advantage.
Seniors who make this transition often discover numerous activities, make new friends, reconnect with old ones they haven’t seen in a long time, and become busier than they’ve been in years. All this during the winter months.
So, there’s no reason to wait when you understand the true value assisted living offers.
For more information about assisted living facilities in Shavano Park, TX, contact Pipestone Place Assisted Living or to take a tour, call today (210) 718-0211.
- Thank You, Family Caregivers - November 22, 2022
- Fall Activities for Seniors with Dementia - October 28, 2022
- 7 Benefits of Memory Care for Seniors and Their Loved ones - September 26, 2022