Five signs it’s time to talk about residential aged care

If you’re supporting an older parent, grandparent or loved one, you might not be sure when it’s the right time to start talking about residential aged care. You may have noticed that they seem to need a bit more help these days, but unsure whether you’re ready to suggest the next step.

Here are some common signs that indicate home care may no longer be the best option. Make time to connect with your loved one; if you notice one or more of these signs, it’s important that you consider starting the conversation.

Sign 1: Carer stress

There can be a lot of pressure with caring for a parent or loved one, even if you have the help of a home care provider. If it’s impacting your own health and wellbeing, then it might be time to think about services beyond support in the home. You might find that you’re not getting enough sleep, or your own health is suffering from helping physically.

Sign 2: An increase in emergency episodes

An increase in the number of ‘emergency episodes’ such as falls, medications mishaps, hospital admissions, or GP visits, or a greater frequency of these instances over a short period, can indicate that your loved one’s mobility or cognitive skills are declining. If this is the case, it’s important to discuss their care options with them before a serious incident or injury occurs.

Sign 3: Increased use of respite care

If you are relying on respite care more than you used to, it may be because their needs are becoming unmanageable in the home, even with the support of home care services.

Sign 4: Noticeable changes in behaviour

If your loved one is living with a condition that impacts cognitive abilities such as dementia, their behaviour can change substantially over time.

It may be harder to notice these changes if your loved one lives alone, but there are some key signs to watch out for, that may indicate more intensive care is required, such as:

Regular medication mishaps – they may be forgetting to take medicine or taking the wrong dose, even when aided by regular nurse visits.
Signs of social isolation – a decline in mobility, hearing, sight or other abilities can impact motivation to be social with others.
Poor food hygiene – perishable food such as meat may be left out or eaten after its expiry date.
Weight loss due to a reduced appetite.
Difficulty maintaining or declining interest in personal hygiene or care.
An increasingly messy or unclean home.
Increased confusion and disorientation.
Care is no longer welcome – your loved one may have a change in attitude towards receiving assistance.

It’s important to remember that changes in behaviour may be gradual, so looking out for these signs will help you consider if residential aged care or another option, such as respite or more intensive care, may be the best outcome.

Sign 5: A Home Care Package (HCP) no longer meets their needs

When a Level 4 Home Care Package (the highest level) isn’t covering your loved one’s needs, and if they’re unable to privately pay for the extra care they require at home, it’s a good idea to start talking about their residential aged care options.

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