You may be standing at an important crossroads with your aging parent. Your mother or father is getting on in years and might be ailing to some degree, yet is still quite independent. The idea of putting your parent in an Orlando nursing home seems like an excessive move. Adult children in this position generally find an assisted living facility to be a more acceptable choice for their parent.
If you are contemplating whether an assisted living facility is the proper residence for your parent, A Place For Mom offers some guidance. Basically, a nursing home resident is somebody that requires assistance around the clock with every basic activity of life. People who live in nursing homes often require daily medical attention. Individuals who are too frail to move without major assistance, such as bedridden individuals, will generally be housed in a nursing home.
People that are a good fit for an assisted living facility retain a lot of personal independence. They may need help with daily tasks like putting on clothes or bathing but otherwise can get around fine on their own. Assisted living residents usually have their own apartment or studio and do not require ongoing medical care, though some families of elderly parents like to make sure a community resides close to a hospital just in case.
It is important to know that assisted living communities vary greatly from each other. Some are small, intimate places, while others may take the form of tall apartment complexes. This variety also extends to the level of care each facility provides. Some facilities provide more detailed levels of care than others, so it is possible that your parent, even if seriously infirm, can still be served by an assisted living facility over a nursing home.
Any adult child considering an assisted living facility for a parent will be well served by checking out potential residences for their levels of care, services and conveniences. Since the needs of Floridians and their parents will differ, do not consider this article as legal counsel; read it only for general information.