How do you know that you or a loved one is ready to make the move to assisted living?
It’s a personal question, and each prospective Resident and family has a unique answer. This checklist includes some of the factors we consider when deciding what level of care a potential Resident needs and whether he or she is a good fit for our community. You can use it as a guide for discussion with Lighthouse staff as you and your family work toward answering this important decision.
Medical illnesses and conditions
- Number of medical illnesses requiring monitoring and frequency of monitoring required
- Recent changes (last 6 mos.) in physical condition
- Therapies requiring outside lab or physician participation
- Frequency of treatments required
- Longer-term physical, functional and psychological conditions and changes over the years (including hospitalizations)
- Allergies to foods, medications or environmental factors
- Communicable illnesses
- Skin conditions
- Current nutritional status
Medication management
- Number of medications and high-risk medications required
- Medications that require additional staff training to administer
- Medications that require health care practitioner notification
- Medications that require coordination with outside lab or practitioner visits
- Ability to self-administer medications
- History of substance abuse, misuse or non-compliance
Risk factor management
- Skin condition/breakdown
- Sensory impairments (hearing, vision, etc.) that affect functioning
- Temperature deficits
- Diagnosis of dementia
- Judgment impairment and level (moderate, severe, etc.)
- High number of medications
- Behaviors such as withdrawal or wandering
- Risk factors for falls and injuries
Cognitive impairments, psychiatric illnesses and behaviors
- Number of psychiatric conditions that require monitoring
- Recent changes in psychiatric conditions
- Recent acute psychiatric episodes (past 6 mos.)
- Frequency of dangerous or unsafe behaviors
- Agitation, inappropriate or disruptive behaviors, combative or resistive behaviors
Essential activities of daily living
- Capabilities related to the tasks of everyday social and personal life, such as:
- Cooking
- Chores or keeping personal space clean
- Using the telephone
- Managing money for daily needs and shopping
