Shifting from Assisted Living into a Nursing Home

There are many options when it comes to senior living.  An assisted living facility gives seniors the independence of living alone but has staff and nurses around that assist with daily activities.  It offers seniors the ability to live more of a social life.

A nursing home is a place that serves those that require full-time care, monitoring, and medical assistance.  They receive assistance with meals, specialized rehab services,  and mobility.  Many nursing homes still provide activities that provide a social life for their residents such as activities, games, and social time.  However, you’ll find the medical services provided at nursing homes include wound care, incontinence issues, IV medications, and end-of-life care.

There may come a time when you notice changes in your loved one while living at an assisted living facility:

  • Changes in the amount of care needed
  • The development of more complex medical conditions such as dementia, diabetes, Parkinson’s
  • Terminal illness needing palliative or hospice care
  • Inability to get around or needing a wheelchair
  • An uptick in visits to the hospital
  • Falls

These are all signs to watch for when it becomes clear that an assisted living facility no longer fits the needs of a resident.  All of the above is something that can be provided at a skilled nursing facility such as Iliff. 

If considering transferring your loved one from assisted living to a skilled nursing facility, it doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment.  It may be to recover from a minor health or medical issue to get them back to where they need to be for independent or assisted living.  However, if it does require more of a more extended stay, their doctor can help decide that.