3 Reasons Assisted Living Care Is Logical For Elderly Individuals On Dialysis

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Kidney disease and problems affect many elderly individuals as they age. It is not uncommon for some elderly individuals to have to have dialysis, which is a procedure that filters excess toxins and fluid from the blood to maintain some quality of life. If you have an elderly loved one who is going on dialysis for kidney problems, it may be time to talk to them about moving into an assisted living community or home. Take a look at some of the reasons why assisted living care facilities work out well for elderly individuals who are receiving dialysis treatment. 

Dialysis treatment can be a time-consuming thing. 

For patients who have to have hemodialysis treatment, the typical treatments will take about four hours and may have to be done three times every week, according to the National Kidney Foundation. If treatment has to be done out of the home, which it most often does, this can mean multiple trips to a dialysis center every week, which can be really time-consuming for you as a caregiver. If your loved one is in an assisted living facility, their trips for dialysis will be handled by the facility. Some senior living facilities even have on-site dialysis treatment centers. 

Dialysis treatment means your loved one will have to be really careful about hygiene. 

Most patients who do have to go on dialysis will have a permanent access port put into their arm, neck, or abdomen. This allows for dialysis to occur without having to repeatedly access a vein or artery. While this port is meant to make dialysis less intrusive, it can mean there have to changes at home, especially with hygienic care. If the home is not kept clean and your loved one is not kept sanitary, the access port can make them more vulnerable to infection. In an assisted care facility, your loved one's room will be cleaned for them and they will be helped with their personal bathing needs in a proper way. 

Dialysis treatment can mean your loved one needs closer monitoring. 

If you do not stay with your elderly loved one around the clock and they have chronic kidney disease, it can be risky. The health of someone with kidney failure can deteriorate rapidly, which means they need closer monitoring than usual even if they are getting dialysis treatments. In assisted care, your loved one who can still tend to a lot of their own needs will have staff members who monitor their health conditions at all times. 

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17 December 2018

Helping Your Parent Adjust to Assisted Living

My husband and I recently moved his mother to an assisted living facility. My name is Audrey Martin, and I am going to share our experience with you. My mother-in-law is eighty-two years old. She has been living on her own for twelve years since her husband passed away. My husband, David, is her only child. That left us in charge of making this decision for her since she has declined to the point of not being able to make sound decisions on her own. I’m not going to tell you that it’s been easy, but I will say that it can be done. I hope that what I’m about to share proves to be helpful to you should the time come that you are the one moving a loved one to an assisted living facility. Thanks for stopping by!