I am a senior who has lived and worked in St. Lucie County since the fall of 1972. I have worked as both a teacher and a minister for a large part of that time and have had the opportunity to visit many different retirement facilities over the years. I am presently a part of a group that meets once a month at Lake Forest Park for a luncheon. I have also toured their facilities and am quite impressed. They provide a secure and challenging program of activities and I know of no other place that I would rather consider ...retirement than LFP. Their facility is conveniently located near shopping and Lawnwood Medical Center, and they provide transportation for most every need of their residents. The staff is helpful and friendly and the food is delicious and well prepared. I'm impressed by the fact that the chef goes out of his way to accommodate special dietary needs. In addition, one never gets the feeling that he/she is an imposition. i would highly recommend Lake Forest Park to anyone looking for a nice, clean, secure place to retire and enjoy their "golden years".
Show MoreLessHow To Know its Time For Assisted Living Back
It is often difficult to recognize the signs that your loved ones may need to seriously consider moving to an assisted living community. The main thing to consider is that you too may be in denial. Children don’t want to see their parents or older loved ones suffer but they also have a hard time of letting go of the ways things were. You have to do what is best for everyone. Look for these signs and remember some are more obvious than others.
Overall Health Signs:
Do they have a chronic health condition that is worsening (COPD, congestive heart failure, dementia)? These conditions will cause your loved one to need help on a continuous basis. How was the recovery time on their last cold, flu or sinus infection? Were they able to get the medical attention they needed in time and heal quickly before it turned into something more serious?
Has your loved one fallen or suffered an accident lately? Accidents do happen but have you noticed that they are more frail and finding that they are unable to manage their daily living activities. Daily Living Activities are a huge sign to look for. These are dressing, cooking, laundry, managing their medications and being able to shop and do what it takes to live alone successfully.
Have they lost or gained weight. If you hug them, do they feel like they are going to break? There are different reasons for losing weight but if they cannot shop for themselves or cannot cook, they will lose weight. Weight loss can be a sign of many things but unless they are truly working on losing weight you must take note. Weight gain could mean that they do not remember eating so they are constantly eating. Watch for signs of dementia and diabetes.
Has their appearance or smell changed? Personal hygiene habits that change suddenly is a great sign of depression or injury. If they don’t have the energy to take a shower or brush their teeth or can’t remember if they already did you must truly consider what is going on. Check their buttons to see if they are getting them closed because this may be a lack of dexterity or forgetfulness.
How are your loved ones pets? Have the dogs or cats gone to the vet lately as scheduled or was the appointment missed? Are the dogs being fed on schedule as they typically have been or are they under/over fed? Are they groomed like always or in desperate need of grooming? Not being able to care for a pet can sometimes be a sign that one cannot help themselves either. Keep a close eye on this.
Your instincts are probably right but make sure you are not in denial yourself and weigh out the truths of the situation. Talk to your family and get insight from them as well. Talk to old friends or close relatives and seek out their opinions. Listen to the comments made about them missing dates or quitting the book club, questions about their health, etc.
Start to research and find a good assisted living community. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much it will help your loved ones.