Community Living: When to Start Looking

Guest Blog by Amy Friesen
Founder and CEO, Tea & Toast

As we age, one of the most important yet challenging decisions is determining when to seek additional care at home or transition into a older adult living community. If deciding to move into a community, timing is everything, and making the right choice at the right time can greatly impact quality of life, independence, and overall well-being. But what happens if a full move isn’t quite the right fit yet? Homecare can serve as a valuable in-between solution, offering support while allowing older adults to remain in the comfort of their own homes.

Recognizing the Signs That It’s Time for More Support

For many older adults, there comes a point when daily tasks become overwhelming, even with the best intentions to remain independent. Some signs that indicate it may be time to seek additional care or consider a move include:

• Increased Forgetfulness: Missing medications, forgetting appointments, or misplacing essential items frequently can signal cognitive decline.
• Declining Mobility: Difficulty moving around the house, struggling with stairs, or experiencing more frequent falls.
• Poor Nutrition or Meal Preparation Issues: Skipping meals, weight loss, or relying too much on processed or fast food.
• Challenges with Personal Care: Difficulty maintaining personal hygiene, dressing, or other daily living activities.
• Isolation and Loneliness: Withdrawing from social activities, avoiding friends and family, or experiencing depression.
• Home Maintenance Becoming a Burden: Difficulty keeping up with house cleaning, repairs, or yard work.

Homecare

For older adults who need some assistance but aren’t ready to transition into a older adult living community or prefer to stay at home, homecare can be an excellent option. Professional caregivers provide customized support that can include:

• Help with personal care (bathing, dressing, grooming)
• Medication reminders
• Meal preparation and grocery shopping
• Companionship and social engagement
• Housekeeping and laundry assistance
• Transportation to appointments and errands

Homecare allows older adults to maintain their independence while receiving the help they need to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes. It also provides peace of mind for family members who may not be able to assist as often as they’d like. Additionally, many older adults choose to bring their trusted homecare provider with them when they downsize or move to a retirement home, ensuring continuity of care and a familiar support system during the transition.

The Benefits of Moving When the Time is Right

There comes a time when moving into a older adult living community may offer more benefits. Making the transition at the right time allows older adults to enjoy:

• A Social and Engaging Environment: Many older adult communities offer daily activities, events, and opportunities for making new friendships.
• Increased Safety and Security: With on-site staff, emergency response systems, and a secure environment, older adults and their families can feel at ease.
• Access to Medical and Personal Care: Many communities provide different levels of care, ensuring that support is always available when needed.
• Freedom from Home Maintenance: No more worrying about home repairs, lawn care, or shoveling snow.
• Improved Health and Well-Being: Nutritious meals, fitness programs, and wellness support can contribute to a longer, healthier life.

Planning for a Smooth Transition

Waiting until a crisis can lead to rushed decisions, limited options, and unnecessary stress. Whether considering homecare or a move, planning allows older adults and their families to explore options, tour communities, and make informed decisions based on their needs and preferences.

It’s never too early to start the conversation. Being proactive ensures that older adults have the right care at the right time—whether that means homecare for now or a older adult living community in the future.

Are you or a loved one wondering about older adult community living? Tea and Toast can help you plan and organize throughout your Eldercare journey. Reach out today!

Why Right at Home?

• Over 20 years of experience. Right at Home has been providing award winning customized senior care and home care for over 20 years.
• YOUR Caregivers are all part of YOUR Care Team. This means that there is no revolving door of Personal Support Workers and Nurses. With the help of your Care Planner, you choose and get to know them. This leads to an level of care for your loved one that is unsurpassed in our industry.
• Working with government support. Your Care Planner will work to help you find the government supports you are eligible for (if you would like them) and then work to find a solution for the care needs that go above what government and family can do. We will also work around the government care plan so that we are enhancing it.

We help in home, wherever home is to you.

Our Caregivers are always out in the community visiting homes, Retirement Residences, Long Term Care (LTC), hospices and hospitals.