Things to Consider if a Senior Lives Alone

How do you know when it’s time to help a relative make the decision to move into a senior apartment or assisted living facility? The answers to this questionnaire may help you make that decision.

SAFETY NEEDS

1. Has your relative had accidents as a result of weakness, dizziness, or inability to get around?
2. Has use of the stove, oven, or other appliances become a safety problem because of forgetfulness?
3. Are there hazardous conditions in your relative’s home, e.g., bathroom & bedroom on different floors?
4. Does your relative refuse to use a wheelchair, walker, or other assistive device necessary for safety?
5. Does your relative express a desire to die, or seem depressed, apathetic, or without interest in living?

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

1. Is your relative unable or unwilling to use the kitchen for food preparation?
2. Is there a demonstrated nutritional problem such as weight loss, illness, anemia, etc.?
3. Does your relative eat only inappropriate foods that will not provide nutritional needs?
4. Does your relative “forget” to eat?

PERSONAL HYGIENE

1. Is your relative unwilling or unable to get to the toilet when necessary?
2. Is your relative unable to change clothing or bed linens as necessary to remain clean and dry?

MEDICAL NEEDS

1. Does your relative forget to take necessary medications?
2. Is it likely that your relative would take an inappropriate dose of medicine, purposefully or accidentally?
3. Is your relative unable physically to handle medications (spills or drops them) or to give needed injections?
4. Is your relative unable to obtain help in case of an emergency?
5. If hearing is severely impaired, does your relative refuse to use an aid or turn it on?

SOCIAL NEEDS

1. Is your relative unable to handle money?
2. Does your relative get lost in familiar situations?
3. Has your relative left home without a destination?
4. Has your relative behaved inappropriately in public (threatened others, exposed self, etc.)?
5. Does your relative have mental or emotional problems that might be a threat to self or others?

These questions are phrased in such a way that “Yes” answers suggest a problem. If you answered “Yes” to some of these questions, you should be thinking of, and planning for, the probability that your relative will need additional care and support in the future. If many of your responses were a definite “Yes,” a change may be needed very soon. Depending on your relative’s needs, the change may mean caring for the person in your own home, in an adult family home, in a senior or assisted living community, or a retirement or nursing home. Source: Choosing a Nursing Home: A Guidebook for Families, Richards, et al. University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1985.

Article by lifeseniorservices.org