Perhaps your loved one is eager to make a change and embrace all that Lighthouse has to offer. But we understand that there are also many seniors who are reluctant to leave the home they know and wary of moving into the unknown.
1. How do you know that you or your 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 your loved one and Lighthouse staff as you and your family work toward answering this important question.
Assisted Living Resident Readiness Checklist
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
2. What are the benefits of living at Lighthouse vs. staying at home?
Most older adults eventually come to a point when the benefits of moving to an Assisted Living outweigh the benefits of living alone. In addition to the research we’ve compiled that supports our view that living at Lighthouse is better than living alone, here are a few more reasons:
- Safety. The primary reason individuals eventually opt to move into an assisted living is because it has become unsafe to live alone. The risk of injury due to falling, memory-related illness or other health conditions require supportive care. If your health and safety are in jeopardy, it’s time to give us a call.
- Community. Living alone can be lonely, especially when declining vision makes driving difficult and social circles dwindle as other friends move into assisted living homes or pass away. Lighthouse provides a ready-made group of new friends! Socializing is made easier, as meals can be eaten in our community dining room and friends can participate in a full schedule of activities.
- Convenience. Residents love Lighthouse’s amenities! Transportation, healthcare management, housekeeping, and even an onsite beauty parlor—you never have to leave your new home again! Unless you want to. And if you do, our full schedule of outings and activities has you covered.
