Quick Answer
The level of care your parent needs depends on three things: how much daily help they need, how safe they are when alone, and whether their memory is changing.
Light help with meals or medications points to assisted living. Wandering, growing confusion, or needing someone nearby around the clock points to memory care.
A week of observation typically tells you more than one visit. If you’ve been keeping a running list of small worries and wondering if you’re overreacting, that list is the assessment that you’ve already started.
You know some help is needed, and you want to know how much.
Talk to our team about options. We’ll help you determine which level of support may be best for your parent at The Kensington Redondo Beach.
Where to Look for Signs Your Parent May Need More Support
One visit hides more than it shows. An aging parent often rallies for company and may make the home look better than it normally appears. Observing them for a week will show a pattern of behaviors that could indicate higher care needs.
Make note of:
- Medications: Does the day’s pill count match the schedule?
- Food: Are meals being eaten regularly? Is food spoiling or being forgotten?
- Mobility: How easily can your parent get out of a chair, bed, or car?
- Evenings and nights: Does confusion, anxiety, or restlessness increase later in the day?
- Conversation: Are questions or stories being repeated frequently?
- Personal care: Are bathing, dressing, or grooming becoming harder?
- Household tasks: Are bills, laundry, cleaning, or appointments being missed?
These patterns can help you identify which part of the day is becoming the most difficult.
How to Decide the Level of Care Needed in Senior Living
Your parent’s level of care should be based on the part of the day that is hardest for them to manage safely and consistently.
A parent may still cook, socialize, and manage many routines independently, but if they are missing medications, struggling with bathing, becoming confused at night, or making unsafe decisions, these challenges may indicate a need for more support.
The National Institute on Aging identifies activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating, taking medications, and staying safe. Families should also look at how well a parent manages the household, health needs, memory and judgment, and nighttime routines.
Often, several parts of the day are still going well while one area is becoming difficult. That most challenging area can help determine the level of care your parent needs.
Matching the Need to the Right Level of Senior Care Support
Once your parent’s care needs have been determined, you get a clearer picture of which level of care may best fit them.
They Need Help With a Few Tasks Each Day
Your parent may need a hand with a shower, meals, and a medication schedule, but they still know where they are and who you are. Minor help with everyday activities usually points to assisted living.
In assisted living at The Kensington Redondo Beach, licensed nurses are on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each resident is assigned a primary care manager who learns their routine.
The pill count stops being your job, and you can go back to being the child instead of the caregiver.
They Experience Mild Memory Changes
Your parent’s day-to-day may be manageable with assistance, but they’re showing beginning signs of cognitive decline.
The Kensington Club is an early-stage memory care program for assisted living residents with mild cognitive changes. The Kensington Club offers small-group activities focused on brain wellness, music, and movement.
They Need Hands-On Care and Continuous Supervision
If your parent wanders, gets lost on familiar streets, or can’t safely be alone for an afternoon, that’s the pattern memory care is built for.
Our memory care neighborhoods support two stages: Connections supports early- to mid-stage memory loss, and Haven supports mid- to later-stage memory loss.
Both have secured outdoor terraces and wander management, so your parent can safely navigate our community as they please.
Plan for How Your Parent’s Care Needs May Change
Determining your parent’s level of care is not only about what they need today. It is also important to consider how easily their support can increase if their health, mobility, or cognition changes.
Care needs sometimes rise quickly after a hospital stay, when families may have only a short time to make decisions. A new care assessment before discharge can help identify whether your parent can safely return home or needs a higher level of support.
When comparing senior living options, ask what happens if your parent eventually needs more help. Choosing a community that can support changing needs may reduce the likelihood of another disruptive move later.
At The Kensington Redondo Beach, residents can receive increasing levels of support as their needs change. This continuity can help families choose a level of care based on their parent’s current needs while also planning for what may come next.
What if One Parent Needs More Care?
If you’ve observed your parents long enough to determine their levels of care, and one of them needs significantly more support, that doesn’t mean they have to live apart.
The Kensington Redondo Beach supports couples in senior care, meaning each parent can still get the level of support they need while remaining together in the community.
Talk Through Your Parent’s Level of Care With The Kensington Redondo Beach
The question “what level of care does my parent need?” has an answer, and it’s already in your own notes. They’ll need the level of support that meets them at the hardest part of the day. After some observation, you’ll figure out which part that is.
Bring your notes and concerns when you visit our community at 801 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, California. We’ll help you determine where your parent fits best, whether that’s assisted living or one of our three levels of memory care.
You do not need to have all the answers before reaching out. Our team is here to listen, understand what your family is facing, and help you feel more confident about the next step.
Contact The Kensington Redondo Beach to schedule a private tour, or call 424-241-2064.
FAQ: What Level of Care Does My Parent Need?
Mostly fine still has a hardest hour, and that hour sets the level. Light help with meals or pills usually points to assisted living, with memory support added if needed.
They’re the basic tasks of a day: bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, and moving from bed to chair. Needing regular help with even one is worth talking through.
Assisted living is a good fit when your parent needs help with tasks but can stay oriented and safe alone for stretches. Memory care fits when supervision can’t take a break.
Yes, and it’s expected as people age. Care plans at The Kensington Redondo Beach grow with your parent, and no one leaves when needs rise.
Their physician is the first stop for ruling out a medical cause of sudden changes. A community’s nurses can then read the same notes you’ve been keeping.