A skilled nursing home is an advanced nursing home for those who have serious illnesses or diseases. If you have a loved one who has dementia, diabetes, heart conditions, or other serious physical or mental illnesses, they will eventually likely need the care of skilled nursing facilities in your area. The key is knowing when it’s time to consider additional care.
There are almost 16,000 skilled nursing home centers across the United States, so locating one near you should not be a major concern. Learning to recognize the signs that more advanced nursing home care is needed for a loved one is what you should think about. Here are signs you need a rehab center or other long term nursing home care for your loved one so you know when to get this additional care for a family member.
Your Loved One is Hard to Manage
When your loved one becomes hard to keep still and manage, you should think about a nursing home setting for them. When someone has advanced Alzheimer’s or dementia, they start to become agitated and irritable, and their ability to reason and communicate well can be compromised.
If you have to constantly look for your loved one because they have wandered from the house and gotten lost, you need to consider additional help. If you are being physically fought because your loved one is angry and disoriented, or you just don’t have the resources or time to constantly check on your declining loved one, you need to consider nursing and rehab centers.
Your Loved One Needs More Than You Can Give
As your loved one starts to decline, they will need more care than you can give them. It’s hard to manage both work and family already, and adding the needs of your aging loved one can make things even more daunting for you. If you cannot give your best care to your aging loved one, then you should do what is best for them and invest in their care via professional nursing home services.
If one of your other family members has concerns about your loved one or they have other alternatives for care, pay heed. It sometimes takes another family member to see what is wrong with an aging loved one, and it’s OK to reach out for further assistance so your entire family can receive the professional care needed. A nursing home provides the care and support your elderly loved one requires to continue to lead a happy, healthy life.