How to determine when assisted living is needed
Before ruling out remaining in one's home, consider whether options like adult day care, respite care, visiting nurses or live-in help, even on a part-time basis, other services could adequately fill the need.

To help determine if a loved one is in need of help, the following are questions families may want to consider. This often prompts discussions so families can explore options best suited for their situation.

• Does your parent still maintain their appearance and hygiene?
• Does your parent have difficulty moving around the house?
• Does your parent have trouble with hearing or vision?
• Does your parent have health-related problems limiting their ability to take care of everyday activities, such as eating, cleaning, and personal hygiene or shopping?
• Does your parent show signs of forgetfulness or confusion?
• Have you noticed a drop in social activity, like meeting with friends?
• Does your parent appear bored, lonely or depressed?
• Does your parent exhibit feelings of frustration or worthlessness from inactivity?
• Have their driving skills diminished?
• Do they struggle with routine yard and home maintenance?

If your answers to these questions raise concerns, Laureate Leisure Living can help. Providing an enriched and fulfilled life for your loved one is our highest priority.

How to talk about Assisted Living
We understand that discussing assisting living options with a family member, who has always enjoyed his or her independence, may be challenging. Here are some few guide-lines to follow:

Start talking early before a crisis.
Don't wait until there's a crisis. It's important to get things on the table and start a dialogue and get some work done ahead of time, that way if there is a crisis they simply pull the plan out of the folder.

Include other family members in the discussions.
Involving everyone in the discussion, is very important as most often than not, family members do not agree on what should be done and then send conflicting messages. For the process to work well, family members must come to an agreement.

Put your feet in their shoes.
Children often view the move with a sense of relief that their parents will now be safe and have a chance to socialize. It is a very emotional time to decide to move, parents think of it as their world is shrinking, and they perceive it as the end of the road.

Use good communication skills.Children need to offer options rather than advice when talking about the move. Children should not say 'you should do this Mom’. The way you communicate with a parent is important. You can't impose your values on them. You have to have a dialogue with them.  Ask for your parents' ideas. Express your concerns rather than telling them what they should do. Listen and don't be afraid of silence. Use open-ended questions that foster discussion rather than closed questions that are answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.  Remember, this is a topic that is heartbreaking," she says. "But it's a wake-up call to do some planning.

Treat Parents with Respect.
Perhaps it need not be emphasized. Your parents nursed you, fed you and took care of you. Treat your parents with love and respect. They need your assurance that you will be there for them as they age.