My soon to be 89 y/o father is currently living in an Assisted Living Residence. They help with day-to-day things, but cannot do anything of a medical nature, including lifting or moving him. He needs to be ambulatory, which he is. He moved there two months ago and it is a wonderful place. Unfortunately, my dad seems to have aged considerably over the past weeks...........
He has severe hearing loss and understands others by lip reading. He has low vision, so anyone he is communicating with needs to be within 18 inches of him. Unfortunately, his vision has become worse with each passing day, and we feel he will soon lose his vision entirely. Once that happens, he feels he will have trouble living independently and will have issues with communicating with others since he cannot read lips or read anything written on a notepad.
My question is..........when someone needs more than an Assisted Living Facility, but is not a candidate yet for a nursing home - is there a living arrangement for something "in between"?
What exactly do you feel he needs that are 'in-between' these two areas of care?
When my dad moved into assisted-living, they suggested if he needed more care than assisted-living, was able to provide, then we needed to hire home care services to come to him.
I am in agreement with some of the other responses in that you can have his hearing and vision checked and possibly improved. The assisted living facility will be able to take him to the appointment and then you can meet him at the appointment with a wheelchair to take him to the appointment.
Thanks.
Next step—hearing eval thru a doctor’s office and their audiologist. (Our experience this was far superior to what we had with Miracle Ear.)
Lastly, facilities differ. My mom’s ALF—which was kicking her out bc she needed too much care—suggested a smaller facility. Mom moved there last week after 6 months with me, (some of that in rehab after broken femur.) They do a lot more than the other place.
So ask his facility where they might recommend. Then start visiting places knowing Dad will likely only decline. Will they be able to care for A, B, C?
Best wishes,
That your father is declining so quickly is of concern. Have his physician check him out. The residence you moved him into may not be the right environment for him. There are lot of residential care options, so check out both small and large places.
While it may be difficult to accept this level of care need , you mention several things that point to this potential next step for his safety:
You speak about " lifting", " medication assist", " vision changes" and your personal observation of his " decline".
You can have him professionally assessed for his appropriate " level of care" needs by his PCP( Primary care physician) or other qualified professionals ( perhaps where he is now). Speak with the facility administration or his PCP.
In the meantime, a stop gap measure that some people use is hiring 1:1 daily assist for him in his current residence. The facility can most likely give you more information on any requirements/ permissions etc the facility may have regarding outside professional help coming in 1:1 for ALF residents.
I am looking for placement for my 82 y/o mother with dementia. Can you please provide the names of the group homes in Illinois?
Thank you.
My LO requires what is called 'intermittent' assistance too. Not 24/7 support but on/off support required throughout the day.
Many places here are set up for 'low' care or 'high' care. I suppose similar to your assisted living to nursing care.
Maybe a hired aide could be brought in morning & night for 1-2 hours? For personal care (bathing/dressing assist) & again in evening. This would get pricey real fast. (The only reason my LO can do this is because it is Govt funded).
As your Dad is mobile, he could still move about his area during the day independantly but would have support for higher falls risk ADLs. Maybe even a shower aide 2x week if that's all he needed.
An OT could review his room & day rooms. Make them more suitable for his vision impairment. Does the AL have an OT on staff? Could you bring one in?
If Dad does does develop mobility issues that require staff for hands-on transfer assist then he will need more than this. I can see why you want to plan for this. Hey at 89 it's more than a vague 'if'.. I'm a planner too. But it is near impossible to plan for every eventuality.
I've made peace with the *now*. Making the now as safe as it can be with OT reviews, tips & equipment. The *future* will be worked out the same way. Talking to professionals for advice. Looking at the options. Choosing what is available at the time.
It can sometimes be a long life, followed by a short illness like many I've known. Or a time in assisted living, followed by a very short time in nursing care right near the end.
Is that the worry? You & Dad don't want him to be placed in that environment? If so, keep adding what you can to his current set up to make it work *as long as possible*.
You can also ask A Place for Mom here about which facilities could possibly accommodate dad, or, you can hire a Senior Move Manager; here is a link to a good article on the subject:
https://www.daughterhood.org/a-daughters-guide-to-hiring-the-right-aging-care-professional/
Wishing you the best of luck finding the right type of managed care situation for dad.