Additional support can come in the form of relatives and friends regularly visiting the older person and helping with tasks like grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning; employing in-home aged care services to assist with these activities plus other tasks like personal care, nursing services and medication management; or moving into a residential aged care home.

Even though this decision is often difficult to make, there are a few signs that can help you decide if it’s time for your loved one to move into an aged care home.

• They need consistent support to take care of themselves
• They have experienced a sudden change in health
• They are having difficulty managing their health
• They are no longer able to socialise and maintain relationships
• They are suffering from an illness or injury or have had a recent hospital stay

One of the most obvious signs that your loved one may need to move into an aged care home is if they are increasingly unable to take care of themselves without extra support that is available at any moment. This can include having difficulty with tasks such as:

• driving and/or managing public transport
• managing finances
• preparing meals
• keeping up with personal hygiene and grooming.

If your loved one has experienced a sudden change in their health, or has been diagnosed with a chronic illness such as dementia or Parkinson’s, this could indicate the need to move into residential care. Employees at all 13 of our aged care homes are experienced and well-trained, which allows them to offer specialised, around-the-clock care.

Another sign that your loved one may need to move into an aged care home is if they are having difficulty managing their medications or treatments. This can look like:

• forgetting to take medications
• having difficulty understanding their treatment plan
• no longer being able to keep up with doctor’s appointments.

Moving into residential care means that experienced nursing and care staff can help manage your loved one’s health and wellbeing, help them access different treatments (for new or existing conditions) from a range of health professionals including allied health personnel, and make sure new health issues or events are treated quickly and appropriately.

If your loved one wants to connect with their family and friends but it is increasingly difficult to do so, moving into an aged care home may help them. Staff can provide the support they need to go out and visit others, or alternatively, aged care homes often have spaces and amenities to assist residents in hosting their loved ones at home. Additionally, aged care homes can provide a supportive environment and a varied lifestyle program to allow older people to socialise and interact with other residents, employees and members of the community who make regular visits.

If your family member needs a higher level of assistance due to illness, injury or a hospital stay, respite care may be a suitable option. This can involve your loved one having a short stay at an aged care home where they can receive care 24/7, with a view to making the change permanent if your loved one is thriving while in residential care.

These are just a few signs that your loved one may need to move into an aged care home.

For more information and to discuss your individual circumstances, contact our experienced Admissions team on 1300 925 414 or at admissions@eldercare.net.au.

Eldercare receives care subsidies from the Australian Government, and as part of this, requires all residents to undergo an assessment from the Aged Care Assessment Team (also known as an ACAT assessment).

You may want to learn more about the ACAT assessment before enquiring with Eldercare. Read our article on ACAT assessments for more information.