Aegis Living provides guidance on senior living communities

It's a fact: each and every January senior living communities see an increase in inquiries from concerned family members looking for help and answers as to how to best care for an aging loved one that needs assistance. The surge comes post holiday, a time when adult children come face to face with the increasing and changing needs of parents and family members. Aegis Living, a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care communities, works with families looking for help and guidance to best answer the needs of everyone involved.

"The holidays are often the time that the reality of where a parent or loved one is health wise becomes all too apparent," said Dwayne Clark, chairman and CEO of Aegis Living. "When a visit home raises concerns about the quality of life for an aging parent or family member, it is important and all right to follow through and evaluate the situation. At this time it may be a good idea to determine what accommodations or care would be best at this time in their life."

When deciding whether to seek the care of a senior living community, consider these questions.

• How are they emotionally? Are there changes in their activity level and mood? Are they seeing friends and partaking in activities they have loved for years?
• Has there been significant weight loss? Unexplained weight loss could indicate a major health problem.
• What shape is the home in? If the home is in need of repair and un-kept, these can be signs that more help is needed.
• Are they taking care of themselves physically? Look to see if they are keeping up with basic daily routines such as bathing, brushing teeth and wearing clean clothes.
• Are they having difficulty moving around their home? Having trouble walking or being unsteady on their feet puts them at risk for falling and injuring themselves.
• Are you noticing changes in their personality? Memory loss, difficulty in performing familiar tasks, poor judgment, misplacing items, disorientation, rapid mood swings, increased apathy or passiveness are all early warning signs of Alzheimer's. A doctor's evaluation can help determine the cause and treatment of these symptoms.

It is important to understand the many choices that make up the new face of senior living in the 21st century. Here is a breakdown defining the differences in the level of care offered to help guide where to begin to look for assistance.

Senior Living

Senior living communities are for active older adults who continue to enjoy private dwellings, control over their own schedules, and freedom to come and go as they please but may wish to have a little assistance. Medical, dietary and other help is available when needed by staff who are on hand 24/7 to offer assistance.

Assisted Living

Assisted living residences offer a special combination of housing, personalized supportive services and health care designed to meet the needs -- both scheduled and unscheduled -- of those who need help with activities of daily living. Assisted living is quickly becoming the fastest growing long-term care option in the U.S. because of its philosophy, which embraces independence, choice and the opportunity for seniors to live enriching lives.

Alzheimer's and Dementia--Memory Care

Memory Care communities are designed for those who have been diagnosed with memory loss due to dementia or Alzheimer's. These specialized communities provide specially trained staffs, licensed nurses, safe and secure facilities, and cognitive and physical therapies to help soothe and relieve those with Alzheimer's and dementia.