So look for these signs. This is a large indicator of a need to move to a more social environment.
5. He or she requires more hospitalizations.
If your parent has had an increasing need for medical care, he or she may need to be in assisted living. Take note of how many hospitalizations your parent has had and why.
Then ask yourself if these hospitalizations could have been avoided if your parent was in an assisted living facility. If there are a lot of situations on your list, you definitely know it’s time.
6. Your parent wouldn’t be able to get out if there was a fire.
There’s nothing scarier than worrying about an aging parent getting out in the case of a fire. Quite frankly, this thought is terrifying.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “… older adults face the greatest relative risk of dying in a fire.” In fact, the risk more than doubles after the age of 65. But that’s not all. After age 75, it more than triples. And after age 85, it quadruples.
So observe your parent’s ability to get out in an emergency. And if you think he or she couldn’t escape, consider an assisted facility. It beats the alternative of injury or death.