什么時候從獨立生活過渡到輔助生活?

什么時候從獨立生活過渡到輔助生活?

Aging is more art than science. Each person ages at a different rate and may face varying health challenges as the years march on. Because of this, navigating health care decisions later in life isn’t always a straightforward proposition. One of those decisions may be trying to decide when is the right time to move into an assisted living community, and when to begin making plans for such a transition.

變老與其說是科學，不如說是藝術。隨著時間的推移，每個人的衰老速度不同，可能面臨不同的健康挑戰(zhàn)。正因為如此，在以后的生活中做出醫(yī)療決定并不總是一個簡單的命題。其中一個決定可能是決定何時進入輔助生活社區(qū)的合適時機，以及什么時候開始為這種過渡制定計劃。

What Is Assisted Living?

什么是輔助生活?

A 2019 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2016, 28,900 assisted living and similar resident care communities were in operation in the United States. Assisted living facilities can take a range of forms and provide various kinds of services intended to support older adults who need a little assistance in completing the tasks of daily living.

美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention，簡稱cdc) 2019年的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，2016年，美國有28,900個輔助生活和類似的居民護理社區(qū)在運作。輔助生活設施可以采取多種形式，提供各種服務，旨為老年人在完成日常生活任務時提供一點幫助。

When to Make the Move

什么時候開始行動

Most of us aren’t too thrilled how the passage of time might make us a little less able to do the things we used to enjoy so easily – and how it can take a toll on our health. Some people strongly resist the notion of moving to an assisted living community, even though it might be the very best thing for everyone involved. But it’s a complex concept that many people need some time to adjust to.

我們大多數(shù)人都不太高興，時間的流逝可能會讓我們不能那么容易地做我們過去喜歡做的事情，以及它會對我們的健康造成的損害。有些人強烈反對搬到輔助生活社區(qū)，盡管這對每個人來說都是最好的選擇。但這是一個復雜的概念，許多人需要一些時間來適應。

That said, there are some clear signals that indicate it may be time to move from an independent living situation into an assisted living facility, including:

盡管如此，有一些明確的信號表明，現(xiàn)在可能是時候從一個獨立的生活狀況轉(zhuǎn)到一個輔助生活設施，包括:

· A worsening of medical conditions, an increased number of falls and overall increased frailty.

醫(yī)療狀況惡化，跌倒次數(shù)增加，整體虛弱程度增加。

· Difficulty managing domestic finances or other money problems.

難以管理家庭財產(chǎn)或其他資金問題。

· Difficulty keeping the house clean and a decline in ability to care for oneself.

難以保持房間整潔，自理能力下降。

· Depression or social isolation.

抑郁或社交孤立。

Making the Transition

著手轉(zhuǎn)換

Moving into an assisted living community can be a challenging undertaking. For older adults with cognitive deficits, such as those that arrive with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms or dementia, or other chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s or diabetes, this is particularly true. Changing routine – indeed uprooting an entire life – can feel completely overwhelming at times. This can be a particularly difficult prospect given that grief may be added on top of all the other mixed emotions of leaving the family home for an unfamiliar place full of strangers.

進入輔助生活社區(qū)可能是一項具有挑戰(zhàn)性的工作。對于有認知缺陷的老年人，比如那些患有阿爾茨海默氏癥或其他形式的癡呆癥，或其他慢性病，如帕金森癥或糖尿病的老年人，這一點尤其正確。改變常規(guī)——實際上是徹底改變一生——有時會讓人感到完全無法承受。這可能是一個特別困難的前景，離開家到一個充滿陌生人的地方，在所有其他復雜的情緒之上可能又增添了悲傷。