If a loved one needs assistance with daily tasks that family or friends no longer are able to provide, assisted living homes may be the perfect solution. Their staff are available around-the-clock, including assistance with eating, bathing, dressing and walking needs.
Families should carefully evaluate assisted living facilities. Here are some questions families should pose when looking at facilities:
Socialization
Assisted living communities often offer residents various social activities and interactions to foster the development of friendships and discover mutual interests, while simultaneously alleviating feelings of isolation or depression.
Regular socialization can stimulate fundamental interactions in the brain, improving mental health and cognitive function in older adults, helping them remain active and healthy into later years thereby decreasing the risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease.
Encourage your loved one to participate in community social events and get to know his or her new neighbors, whether that means attending group outings and classes or finding a book club or discussion group that may appeal to him or her. They may feel shy at first but the warm and welcoming environment of an assisted living facility will quickly help them adjust. You might suggest group outings and classes, plus look into joining an interesting book club or discussion group which might make life easier for him/her.
Health care
Many people opt for assisted living because they require assistance with everyday activities, including bathing, dressing and transferring in and out of bed, eating or walking. Signs your loved one may require this kind of care include isolation, weight gain or loss and not keeping up with home tasks.
Assisted living residences must arrange for 24-hour monitoring, case administration, food services, personal care assistance and medication services for each of their residents and representatives as well as work with physicians to formulate an individualized service plan for each.
Personal care
Assisted living residents have many social activities and events available to them, including physical, occupational, speech therapy as well as medication management services.
Personal care licensed communities (PCHs) provide assistance in dressing, bathing and getting into and out of bed as well as eating assistance and medication administration. Their staff may even assist residents in using the restroom and administering any prescribed medications.
Personal care homes (PCH) also offer additional services, including grooming and hygienic assistance, laundry and housekeeping. Some personal care homes even provide transportation between their community and PCHs. If senior needs exceed what can be met through community living arrangements alone, however, they may have to move into an accredited nursing home which may be costly and inconvenient for older adults.
Meal preparation
Meal preparation can be one of the more challenging tasks for seniors living alone, but it is an integral component of leading healthy lives. At Caring Senior Service we can arrange for a caregiver to prepare meals and snacks for your elderly loved one.
When creating a menu for seniors living at home, take into account their tastes and preferences. A registered dietitian should be consulted to ensure that meals offered meet nutritional guidelines.
Not only are many assisted living communities serving a range of nutritious meals, they’re increasingly shifting away from three set meal times in favor of multiple smaller food offerings throughout the day. This gives residents access to their favorite dishes whenever they like. Strategies such as altering utensils and pre-cutting food may also reduce discomfort during mealtimes for people living with conditions affecting swallowing.
Housekeeping
Assisted living communities offer personal service staff to help residents maintain their independence. These staff members may assist with bathing, dressing and grooming as well as shopping for groceries and supplies. Furthermore, they encourage socialization within the community activities provided.
Housekeepers provide cleaning services in rooms, stairways, hallways, lounges, offices and storage areas. Their duties typically include sweeping and vacuuming floors; mopping and sanitizing lavatories and shower facilities; washing and sanitizing dishes, countertops sinks rugs as well as trash cans/containers as well as dusting furniture/woodwork
Adult homes and enriched housing programs must provide their employees with orientation and in-service training on the characteristics and needs of residents they serve, program rules and policies, specific job duties and responsibilities, safety hazards and emergency procedures. Furthermore, resident agreements must be available for review including certification information as well as basic services provided plus any optional offerings such as additional service offerings with fees associated with them and payment and refund policies.