When Dad Starts Going to Assisted Living at Night Only, He May Want to Move in Full-Time

Your father may be a stubborn person. He may be proud. He may be proud of all the things he accomplished in his life, at least so far. He’s proud of you, his child, or even your siblings, too. He’s proud of the house and family he built. He’s proud of the career he had, regardless of what he did for a living.

Over time, though, challenges increase with age. He might be widowed or your mother is also facing health issues that make mobility more complicated.

At some point in time, a person in their 70s, 80s, or 90s will have to face the hard reality: life is not as it once was. What had once been easy to do, such as making a simple meal in the kitchen or taking out the garbage at night is potentially more dangerous. It’s more complicated.

That’s when elderly men and women begin calling on others for help. If they have an adult child, grandchild, brother or sister, or close friend nearby, that’s who they typically call first.

 

They often don’t think about elder care options.

One of the best in assisted living. However, most people either have certain misconceptions about assisted living or don’t think it’s affordable for them. Your father might very well be one of those people. He may assume this is not in the cards for him or that it’s not something he wants to consider at this stage in his life.

Yet, the family members or friends he calls repeatedly for help, have limitations. There’s only so much they can do. Even if you move your father in with you, there will come a time when you get too frustrated, and carry too much of a burden doing too many things that he once took on himself.

 

What about respite care?

For an assisted living facility that offers it, your father could spend the night at the facility. You or somebody else could drop him off in the evening hours. He could meet up with some new friends, reconnect with old friends he hasn’t seen in ages, and enjoy the entertainment, activities, and maybe even the dining options before heading to his own room or a shared room where he can spend the night surrounded by experienced, diligent staff members in the event he needs assistance for any reason.

In the morning, he can be picked up and returned home. He suddenly gets the best of both worlds.

He gets wonderful elder care support during the evening and overnight hours, often when he is alone. Then, he can return home.

What happens more often than not, though, for seniors who take advantage of these respite care choices at assisted living is they realize the value it offers for full-time, live-in care.

Your father might be one of those people. He might come to learn that assisted living is not about sitting around waiting for the end to come, but about maximizing quality of life, friendships, fellowship, and opportunities for years and years to come.

If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to Assisted Living in Valley, AZ please contact the caring staff at MD Senior Living today. 480-267-9200