12 Signs It May Be Time for Assisted Living or a Group Home

Concerns about a parent’s safety may begin with changes in everyday routines: food going uneaten, bills becoming hard to manage or trouble keeping track of medication. Treat these as reasons for a conversation and assessment, not proof that a move is necessary.

Geriatric care professionals talk about activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, continence and transferring from bed to chair, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as managing money, medications, cooking, shopping and transportation. These are standard functional-assessment categories. 5 The Katz ADL index was published in 1963, and the Lawton–Brody assessment in 1969. 2 1

Difficulty with either category calls for an individualized assessment. Support at home, rehabilitation or residential care may be appropriate; loss of an ADL alone does not determine where someone should live. 1

Signs in the home

Use the following observations as prompts to discuss support needs with a health professional—not as a diagnostic checklist or an automatic recommendation for assisted living. Needs and suitable services vary. 1

1. Spoiled or missing food, or weight loss you can see
2. Unopened mail and unpaid bills, or late-payment notices
3. Medication confusion: missed doses, double doses, full pill organizers
4. A home that has gone from tidy to cluttered or unclean
5. Scorched pots or burners left on

Signs in the person

6. Falls or near-falls, bruises they cannot explain
7. Poor hygiene: wearing the same clothes, body odor, unwashed hair
8. Withdrawal from friends, church or hobbies
9. Getting lost while driving familiar Tucson routes
10. Wandering, especially at night
11. Changes in mood, including paranoia, anger or depression
12. Vulnerability to scams: new "friends," strange charges or calls

Signs in you, the caregiver

If you are exhausted, missing work, or afraid for their safety when you leave, that is a sign too. See our article on caregiver burnout.

Starting the conversation

• Start early, before a crisis, if you can.
• Lead with what you have noticed, not conclusions. For example, you could ask: "I’ve noticed the bills piling up. How are you feeling about keeping up with things?"
• Focus on what they want to keep: independence, their garden, their routine.
• Bring in a trusted voice: their doctor, a pastor, a friend who has made the move.
• Tour without pressure. Ask whether you can visit during a meal to observe daily life.

Group home or assisted living community?

In Arizona, an assisted living home serves 10 or fewer residents, while an assisted living center serves 11 or more. 1 A smaller setting may appeal to someone who prefers fewer people, but size does not guarantee a quiet environment or higher staffing. Compare actual staffing, activities, medical needs and personal preferences at each home. Read our full comparison: group home vs. assisted living in Tucson.

Then browse ranked homes by area, from Oro Valley to Sahuarita.