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There is no right or wrong age for a person to go and live at an assisted living facility. Most people try to stay on their own as long as possible, even when some should have already had the assistance of this type of facility. When it comes to making decisions regarding the golden years, these can be hard and met with much angst. Here are some things to consider when deciding if the time is right for assisted living.

Can This Person Still Function On Their Own?

The age when people start needing help with basic necessities is different for everyone. Some are able to wash their own hair and even do some cooking well beyond their 80’s, but for others, they stop being able to efficiently handle tasks such as these much sooner. The quality of care that you can give yourself must be evaluated before making a decision. If you can survive at home with a home health aide to assist in some chores, then you may be able to stay home a bit more. However, if you are maxed out on home health hours and still are not getting everything done, then it may be time to look at an assisted living facility. Evaluating the person’s hygiene and their overall cleanliness of their home can give a good indication to their abilities. If it is a friend or loved one, it may be hard to discuss matters of this nature with them, but it must be done.

Assisted Living Is Not A Nursing Home

Many people confuse assisted living with that of a nursing home. A nursing home is a place where a person usually shares a room and has around the clock care. An assisted living community is quite different. While they do have people in and out as needed, the person is able to maintain some sort of personal life, unlike in a nursing home. Usually, those who are in assisted living still have a good quality of life left and can enjoy activities and such. The average age for someone to live in a nursing facility is 80, but assisted living communities have people anywhere from 50 years old and on up. It depends on a person’s condition and what they can and cannot do for themselves.

Assisted living can provide as much or little amount of care. For instance, they can help remind when medications need to be taken. They can also give assistance with transportation to and from doctors’ appointments, grocery stores and other outings. There are people who can assist with laundry and even those who can do dishes. The level of care that a person needs will affect the cost and the facility they select. Again, there is no one certain age but usually once a person reaches their 80’s, they will need help doing even the minor everyday tasks that most people take for granted. Assisted living is the perfect alternative for those who just need help, yet still want to live on their own.

Karen Bolt is a guest blogger. Researching assisted living led her to The Highlands active adult community website in Tucson, AZ