If you are taking care of your loved one with any kind of dementia, then you are here at the right place. You should know about the reasons why you might need to place your loved one in a nursing home. Some caregivers want to avoid nursing home care at all costs – but – for one reason or another, they are left with no choice but to arrange a nursing home for their loved ones. 

On that note, you might have made a promise to yourself that you would avoid nursing home care and wish to care for your loved ones yourself. But – sometimes, a nursing home is for the best. 

Not Everyone with Dementia Needs A Nursing Home

Before we move on to the reasons why your loved ones might need to go to the nursing home, it is important to tell you that not everyone with dementia needs to live in a nursing home. There are people with dementia who are actually able to live in the comfort of their own homes. How, you might ask?

They can do so by accepting help from family, friends, kind neighbors, and people in their community. 

Some people with dementia can also comfortably live at a family member’s home, such as a child or grandchild. Assisted living facilities are also a great way for people with dementia to live comfortably.

Different Levels of Care for the Same Diseases 

The best place for your loved one who has dementia to live and grow old typically depends on several things.  The different things include the following aspects:

• The kind of help they receive.
• Their willingness to receive help.
• Their physical abilities.
• Their specific dementia symptoms. 

Again, as stated, not everyone with dementia requires the same level of care, as every individual experiences dementia differently. For instance, if your loved one has a mild case of Alzheimer’s disease, they can require a completely different level of care than another person with a mild case of Alzheimer’s. 

Even people with the exact same illness at the same stage can require different types of care. 

Don’t Feel Guilty

Now, you might have made a promise to yourself that you wouldn’t leave your elderly loved ones or parents in the care of a nursing home. But – you should know that people who place their loved ones in nursing homes aren’t horrible people.

So, if you were to place your aging parents in the care of a nursing home, it doesn’t mean that you don’t love your loved ones any less than the people who care for their aging loved ones at home. As a matter of fact, sometimes, placing your loved ones in a nursing home is the best thing to do for your loved one. 

Don’t compare yourself with other people who manage to care for their loved ones at home because it is your responsibility to care for you and your family. 

You Can Find A Reliable Nursing Home 

You might be thinking about the best place for your loved one with dementia. Ideally, you might be looking for a place that can guarantee the best care as you might have heard about many cases of nursing home abuse or neglect where people get a nursing home abuse lawyer to help them sue the respective nursing home or caregiver who inflicted the negligence in the hope of getting compensation.

Now, the thing is that not all nursing homes are the same – there are indeed great nursing homes out there in your state that ensure your loved ones with dementia or any other illness are well-taken care of. On that note, we encourage you to be open and kind to yourself. You should keep in mind that you need to do what is best for you and your loved one. 

Safety Issues and Dementia

Now, let us talk about some of the reasons why you need to leave your loved one with dementia in the care of a nursing home. The first reason is all about safety. So, if your loved one is no longer safe to be living at home, they are best-taken care of at a nursing home facility. 

What we mean by safety is that your loved one with dementia might be wandering, which means they are at a higher risk of wandering away from home and getting lost. Typically, wanderers like to leave their houses – whether they live alone or with others. 

Usually, they have been successful in leaving the house despite using GPS trackers and alarms. This aspect of dementia can indicate that your loved ones might need a greater level of care. 

Compromising One’s Personal Safety 

It is quite challenging and impossible to keep your eyes on someone 24/7. So, if your loved one with dementia likes to escape from the home and wander around and get lost – this is a massive concern, especially when your loved one is living in a state where the temperature can get really hot or cold or they live in a high-traffic area. 

Also, keep in mind that people with dementia are sometimes not able to detect a dangerous situation. For instance, if your loved one has dementia and lets strangers into the home or gives out personal information over the phone or through emails – they are at a high risk of compromising their personal safety.

They might as well get their personal savings drained because of opening themselves up to strangers. In this case, they are safe and secure at a nursing home rather than continuing to live alone. 

Final Thoughts 

People with dementia often don’t know what to do in the event of an emergency. They might not be able to get help because they don’t know that they are in an emergency. They might not even remember anymore that they have to call 911 if there is an emergency. This can be an issue if you cannot be with them 24/7. The best thing you can do is to place your loved one in the care of a nursing home where professional caregivers can look after them 24/7.