Assisted Living: Pros and Cons
An assisted living home or senior home care is a residential living facility specifically designed for senior adults or for those who can’t or don’t want to live on their own. Elderly citizens are often abandoned by family members because of old age or the need to recuperate from a long illness or injury. But rather than turning the senior citizens into a burden on society, this kind of care allows them to enjoy a more active and independent lifestyle. This elderly care is also more affordable and accessible compared to traditional nursing home care. These are the main reasons why more families these days are moving into senior home care.
However, there are some families who don’t really need help but still want to have an environment that will provide a sense of belonging and security. In such cases, they may look for assisted living facilities that offer their residents both services – social interaction as well as medical care and support. You may think that assisted living facilities are only for the elderly but that’s not true. The truth is that there are lots of senior housing facilities that cater to all types of senior citizens including those who need help with their mobility and senior living. If you think that you may need some of these services, the best thing to do is to ask your local senior housing agency about it.
Senior homes or assisted living facilities typically include amenities like meals, recreational activities, laundry and cleaning service, housekeeping and bathing. The amount and severity of the needs vary depending on the type of residence provided by the agency. Some facilities are just right for the physically challenged residents who need assistance with daily activities like getting up from the bed and walking around the room. On the other hand, there are senior home care facilities for those who need assistance with their cognitive skills. Assisted living homes usually have several types of resident programs to meet the needs of different kinds of residents.
Before you contact your local assisted living facilities and discuss your loved one’s situation, it is important to consider all his unique characteristics. Some of them include the following: The first thing you should look at is his personality. Assisted living facilities sometimes employ staff members who are specially trained in dealing with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and similar types of mental illnesses. This means that you may have to spend some additional time with your loved one to ensure that he will be comfortable in the facility. If you’re not certain about the kind of care your loved one will receive in the facility, you can ask the agency to give you some time to find out.
When you visit assisted living facilities, you’ll see that there are usually a lot of common areas where the residents gather, such as the dining area, the bedroom and the living room. It is important to observe how the residents interact and whether they have a good relationship with each other. You’ll also get an idea about the kind of meals that the residents are happy with since meals are usually provided three times a day.
Although the residents do get assistance from health care services staff, it doesn’t mean that every resident is given the same quality of care. The health care services staff will prepare food, but the residents may not always be happy with the way the foods are prepared or the portions they are given. Because of this, you may want to bring your loved one to an independent senior care home instead of waiting for him or her to receive care at the assisted living facility.
In addition to providing daily living assistance, assisted living facilities also provide some or all of these services and more. One of the services provided by this type of facility is medication management. In the case of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another brain disorder, the medication management team takes into consideration the patient’s diet, medical history and the frequency of his or her meals. Because someone with Alzheimer’s disease has difficulty swallowing or managing his food, the medication management team provides him or her with small meals at regular intervals throughout the day, along with extra snacks.
Assisted living homes provide many services that seniors can’t do on their own, such as performing simple tasks around the house, like cooking or cleaning. For those seniors who have trouble performing simple tasks, this service may be the best choice for them. Another benefit of assisted living is the presence of other seniors, which creates a sense of community for seniors. This is beneficial for social interaction and can lead to longer, healthier lives.