How we take care of our beloved elders is one of the most trying tasks we may face. When a senior can no longer live safely on their own,we must make difficult decisions regarding how we handle the situation. There is only so much you can do to care for a senior family member until it becomes overbearing and inhibits your ability to live a normal life.

There is middle ground when it makes sense for the senior and their families to develop a plan for senior care. The following information can help you plan for new types of care that may be suitable for your loved one.Sidney Katz, in the 1960’s, developed a way to measure the level of care a senior needs through charting activities of daily living or ADL’s. Dr. Katz broke these routines down into six main categories:

• Eating
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Toileting (being able to get on and off the toilet and perform personal hygiene functions)
• Transferring (being able to get in and out of bed or a chair without assistance)
• Maintaining continence (being able to control bladder and bowel functions)

Each activity has equal value of importance. Each activity is assigned a number: 1 if the task can be completed; 2 if the task cannot be completed. The higher the score, the more independent a person is able to live. For example, if a senior scores5 out of 6 on the model, he or she has a relatively easy time completing basic functions of life. But if a senior scores a 1or 2out of 6, it is clear that he or she needs a lot of care and attention and thus will need senior care that is more hands-on. In recent times,medication management has also become a major focus for overseeing the safety of our elderly population. In fact, safe medication management has become one of the primary reasons for choosing assisted living.

Our goal is to help you and your loved determine the best place for “aging in place” and where that place might be. Kellie, our Director of Nursing, has over 8 years of experience in assisted living communities, and can visit your loved one at their home, or at our community. We are here to provide peace of mind and bring joy to every day for your loved one, and you!