Are you currently caring for an aging parent, grandparent, or another relative?  Do you want the best for them, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do what needs to be done? While it's admirable for you to want to keep your relative at home for as long as possible, this isn't always feasible. Here are some reasons why you may want to start looking into moving your relative to an assisted living facility:

Falls: If your relative falls while trying to get to another part of the house, it can be difficult to pick them up off of the floor. Even if you have a spouse or significant other that is able to help, he or she may not always be home. Depending on the severity of the fall, you may even need to call for an ambulance to help and to take your relative to the hospital so that he or she can be checked out. In an assisted living facility, staff members are trained for circumstances like these. They will be able to help your relative get to the toilet or back into bed. They will also be trained to assess whether or not the fall was severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital for an X-ray.

Socialization: As much as you love your relative, you're no substitute for large groups of people. You may make an effort to include him or her into family night, but he or she may wind up feeling lonely during the day when you're busy doing laundry or other chores. In an assisted living facility, your relative will not only be able to chat with the staff, he or she will also have a number of group activities to participate in. This may be as simple as watching movies or playing cards, or it could include healthier residents being taken to the store or a local museum for the day. Whatever the circumstances, he or she will be able to interact with a great many more people than would be possible in your own home.

Illnesses: If your relative needs a lot of care and attention now, the situation can get worse if you or they get sick. Should you get a cold or flu, you may be unable to give them their medications and otherwise be unable to properly care for them. If he or she gets sick instead, this can add extra work to your already busy day. This may mean that other aspects of your life, such as laundry or meal preparation, wind up falling by the wayside. Fortunately, staff at an assisted living facility are trained to care for people with all sorts of illnesses. And if you should get too sick to get out of bed, you won't have to worry about your relative not being able to get the food or water that he or she needs.

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