When is the right time for senior care?

Sometime the care need is obvious, a debilitating health event like a stroke or fall or a traumatic accident can render someone incapable of self-care. in other cases, the signs may be subtle and accumulate gradually. Here are some indications it might be time for assisted living.

How we can help

Discussing assisted living with a loved one, a parent for example can be very challenging. We have developed a very comprehensive assessment whitch can determine at what stage is your loved one and what we would recommend with respect to assisted living.

Get your personalized report and start the conversation with your loved one.

LETS GET STARTED!

Step 1

Please tick where appropiate*

Is your loved one able to manage self-care?

Common sings of decline include poor hygiene, sloppy dressing and an unkempt appearance

Lack of interest in appearence.

Is there significant memory loss?

Asking the same questions over and over

Getting lost in familiar places

Being unable to follow instructions

Being confused about location, time and well-know people

Is your elderly loved one walking safely and steadily?

Ageing can lead to muscle weakness, stiffness and pain in the joints, balance problems and other issues that affect gait and steadiness on their feet.

Falling is a primary cause of disability in the senior population.

Has your loved one lost weight?

Difficulty cooking. It may be hard to summon the energy or desire to cook, hold and manipulate cooking tools, read labels or follow directions and recipes.

Loss of taste or smell. Ageing naturally causes diminishment in these senses, and when food doesn´t taste or smell good, eating becomes less enjoyable.

Socioeconomic issues. Your loved one might find grocery shopping physically difficult or too expensive if they have financial pressures.

Other health conditions. Weight loss can be a symptom of a serious underlying medical problem, such as malnutrition, demetia, depression or cancer.

Has your elderly loved one´s mood or spirit changed?

If you notice a change in mood that lasts longer than you might consider normal, it could indicate clinical depression or another illness.

Is your elderly loved one safe in the home?

Cooking cleaning gardening are all possible areas of concern

Stairs are always a risk

Is your loved one safe driving a car?

the reality is that 60% of older adults do drive with at least mild congnitive impairment, according to a 2022 study in Innovation in Ageing.

Slowed reflexes, diminished vision and hearing, and increasing confusion all make driving a challenge as we age.

Is your elderly loved one walking safely and steadily?

seniors can suffer from isolation like the rest of us, is your loved one connecting with friends, maintaining hobbies and participating in the activities they enjoy.

Losing interest in being socially active, that is another red flag.

Step 2

Contact details

Step 3

Level of unpredictability & intensity

Please provide details of the patients condition and any diagnosis

1. Breathing

Breathlessness due to a condition which is not responding to therapeutic treatment and limits all daily living activities.

A condition that requires management by a non-invasive device to both stimulate and maintain breathing (non-invasive positive airway pressure, or non-invasive ventilation).

Is able to breathe independently through a tracheotomy that they can manage themselves, or with the support of carers or care workers.

Episodes of breathlessness that do not consistently respond to management and limit some daily activities.

Requires any of the following: low level oxygen (24%):room air ventilators via a facial or nasal mask: other therapeutic appliances to maintain airflow where individual can still spontaneously breathe e.g. CPAP (Continuous Positive Airways Pressure) to manage obstructive apnoea during sleep.

Shortness of breath or a condition, which may require the use of inhalers or a nebuliser and limit some daily living activities.

Episodes of breathlessness that readily respond to management and have no impact on daily living activities.

Shortness of breath or a condition, which may require the use of inhalers or a nebuliser and has no impact on daily living activities.

Normal breathing, no issues with shortness of breath.

2. Nutrition food & Drink

Dysphagia requiring skilled intervention to ensure adequate nutrition/hydration and minimise the risk of choking and aspiration to maintain airway.

Subcutaneous fluids that are managed by the individual or specifically trained carers or care workers.

Problems relating to a feeding device (e.g. PEG) that require skilled assessment and review.

Nutritional status ‘at risk’ and may be associated with unintended, significant weight loss.

Unable to take any food and drink by mouth, but all nutritional requirements are being adequately maintained by artificial means, for example via a non-problematic PEG.

Needs feeding to ensure adequate intake of food and takes a long time (half an hour or more), including liquidised feed.

Significant weight loss or gain due to an identified eating disorder.

Needs supervision, prompting with meals, or may need feeding and/or a special diet (for example to manage food intolerances/allergies).

Able to take food and drink by mouth but requires additional/supplementary feeding.

Able to take adequate food and drink by mouth to meet all nutritional requirements.

3. Continence

Continence care is problematic and requires timely and skilled intervention, beyond routine care. (for example frequent bladder wash outs/irrigation, manual evacuations, frequent re-catheterisation).

Continence care is routine but requires monitoring to minimise risks, for example those associated with urinary catheters, double incontinence, chronic urinary tract infections and/or the management of constipation or other bowel problems.

Incontinence of urine managed through, for example, medication, regular toileting, use of penile sheaths, etc.

Continence care is routine on a day-to-day basis.

Is able to maintain full control over bowel movements or has a stable stoma, or may have occasional faecal incontinence/constipation.

Continent of urine and faeces.

4. Skin

Pressure damage or open wound(s), pressure ulcer(s) with ‘partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and/or dermis’, which is not responding to treatment.

Pressure damage or open wound(s), pressure ulcer(s) with ‘full thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis to subcutaneous tissue, but not extending to underlying bone, tendon or joint capsule´, which is responding to treatement.

Risk of skin breakdown which requires preventative intervention several times each day, without which skin integrity would break down.

Pressure damage or open wound(s), pressure ulcer(s) with ‘partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and/or dermis’, which is responding to treatment.

An identified skin condition that requires a minimum of daily treatment, or daily monitoring/reassessment to ensure that it is responding to treatment.

Specialist dressing regime in place which is responding to treatment.

Risk of skin breakdown which requires preventative intervention once a day or less than daily, without which skin integrity would break down.

Evidence of pressure damage and/or pressure ulcer(s) either with ‘discolouration of intact skin’ or a minor wound.

A skin condition that requires monitoring or reassessment less than daily and that is responding to treatment or does not currently require treatment.

No risk of pressure damage or skin condition.

5. Mobility

Completely unable to weight bear and is unable to assist or cooperate with transfers and/or repositioning.

Due to risk of physical harm or loss of muscle tone or pain on movement needs careful positioning and is unable to cooperate.

At a high risk of falls (as evidenced in a falls history and risk assessment).

Involuntary spasms or contractures placing the individual or others at risk.

In one position (bed or chair) for majority of the time but is able to cooperate and assist carers or care workers.

At moderate risk of falls (as evidenced in a falls history or risk assessment).

Not able to consistently weight bear.

Completely unable to weight bear but is able to assist or cooperate with transfers and/or repositioning.

Able to weight bear but needs some assistance and/or requires mobility equipment for daily living.

Independently mobile.

6. Comunication

Unable to reliably communicate their needs at any time and in any way, even when all practicable steps to assist them have been taken. The individual has to have most of their needs.

Communication about needs is difficult to understand or interpret or the individual is sometimes unable to reliably communicate, even when assisted. Carers or care workers may be able to anticipate need through non-verbal signs due to familiarity with the individual.

Needs assistance to communicate their needs. Special effort may be needed to ensure accurate interpretation of needs or additional support may be needed either visually, through touch

Able to communicate clearly, verbally or non-verbally. Has a good understanding of their primary language. May require translation if English is not their first language.

7. Psychological

Mood disturbance, hallucinations or anxiety symptoms or periods of distress that have a severe impact on the individual’s health and/or well-being.

Due to their psychological or emotional state the individual has withdrawn from any attempts to engage them in care planning, support and/or daily activities.

Mood disturbance, hallucinations or anxiety symptoms or periods of distress which do not readily respond to prompts, distraction and/or reassurance and have an increasing impact on the individual´s health and/or well-being.

Due to their psychological or emotional state the individual has withdrawn from most attempts to engage them in support, care planning and/or daily activities.

Requires prompts to motivate self towards activity and to engage them in care planning, support and/or daily activities.

Mood disturbance or anxiety symptoms or periods of distress, which are having an impact on their health and/or well-being but respond to prompts, distraction and/or reassurance.

Psychological and emotional needs are not having an impact on their health and well-being.

8. Cognition

Cognitive impairment that could for example include frequent short-term memory issues and maybe disorientation to time and place. The individual has awareness of only a limited range of issues, they are unable to do so on most issues, even with supervision, prompting or assistance.

The individual finds it difficult, even with supervision, prompting or assistance, to make decisions about key aspects of their lives, which consequently puts them at high risk of harm, neglect or health deterioration.

The individual is usually able to make choices appropriate to needs with assistance. However, the individual has limited ability even with supervision, prompting or assistance to make decisions about some aspects of their lives, which consequently puts them at some risk of harm, neglect or health deterioration

Occasional difficulty with memory and decisions/choices requiring support, prompting or assistance. However, the individual has insight into their impairment.

Cognitive impairment (which may include some memory issues) that requires some supervision, prompting and/or assistance with basic care needs and daily living activities. Some awareness of needs and basic risks is evident.

Cognitive impairment which requires some supervision, prompting or assistance with more complex activities of daily living, such as finance and medication, but awareness of basic risks that affect their safety is evident.

No evidence of impairment, confusion or disorientation.

9. Behaviour

‘Challenging’ behaviour of type and/or frequency that poses a predictable risk to self, others or property. The risk assessment indicates that planned interventions are effective in minimising but not always eliminating risks. Compliance is variable but usually responsive to planned interventions.

‘Challenging’ behaviour that follows a predictable pattern. The risk assessment indicates a pattern of behaviour that can be managed by skilled carers or care workers who are able to maintain a level of behaviour that does not pose a risk to self, others or property. The individual is nearly always compliant with care.

Some incidents of ‘challenging’ behaviour. A risk assessment indicates that the behaviour does not pose a risk to self, others or property or create a barrier to intervention. The individual is compliant with all aspects of their care.

No evidence of ‘challenging’ behaviour.

10. Medication

Requires administration and monitoring of medication regime by a registered nurse, carer or care worker specifically trained for this task because there are risks associated with the potential fluctuation of the medical condition or mental state, or risks regarding the effectiveness of the medication of the potential nature or severity of side effects. However, with such monitoring the condiction is usually non-problematic to manage.

Moderate pain or other symptoms which is/are having a significant effect on other domains or on the provision of care.

Requires the administration of medication (by a registered nurse, carer or care worker) due to: non-compliance, or : type of medication (for example insulin); or: route of medication (for example PEG).

Mild pain that is predictable and/or is associated with certain activities of daily living; pain and other symptoms do not have an impact on the provision of care.

Moderate pain which follows a predictable pattern; or other symptoms which are having a moderate effect on other domains or on the provision of care.

Requires supervision/administration of and/or prompting with medication but shows compliance with medication regime.

Symptoms are managed effectively and without any problems, and medication is not resulting in any unmanageable side-effects.

11. Altered states of conciousness (ASC)

Frequent episodes of ASC that require the supervision of a carer or care worker to minimise the risk of harm.

Occasional ASCs that require skilled intervention to reduce the risk of harm.

Occasional (monthly or less frequently) episodes of ASC that require the supervision of a carer or care worker to minimise the risk of harm.

History of ASC but effectively managed and there is a low risk of harm.

No evidence of altered states of consciousness (ASC).

Time for care

When is the right time for senior care?

How we can help

Get your personalized report and start the conversation with your loved one.

LETS GET STARTED!

Step 1

Is your loved one able to manage self-care?

Is there significant memory loss?

Is your elderly loved one walking safely and steadily?

Has your loved one lost weight?

Has your elderly loved one´s mood or spirit changed?

Is your elderly loved one safe in the home?

Is your loved one safe driving a car?

Is your elderly loved one walking safely and steadily?

Step 2

Contact details

Step 3

Level of unpredictability & intensity