An assisted living facility provides senior residents in need of daily assistance with daily activities with access to various services like meals, housekeeping and transportation – as well as round-the-clock healthcare and supervision from healthcare staff.
To be eligible for assisted living, senior must be in good health and able to walk or use a wheelchair independently without assistance from others. Many communities provide free scheduled transportation services for doctor’s appointments and other tasks.
Personal care
When selecting an assisted living facility for an elderly loved one, be mindful of their individual needs. For instance, those requiring help dressing or remembering medications may fare better in a personal care home setting. You should also keep future needs in mind – for instance a dementia patient might require memory care services.
As opposed to independent living, assisted living offers round-the-clock supervision and assistance with daily activities. Compared with nursing homes, this form of housing may be more cost effective while offering amenities such as social and recreational activities, meals, housekeeping services and emergency care services.
While “personal care home” and “assisted living” may often be used interchangeably, Pennsylvania passed legislation in 2011 that clearly distinguished these types of facilities. Assisted living communities include common areas with moderately-sized apartments for rent while personal care homes often contain healthcare centers on their campuses.
Both facilities provide dining services with meals included in their monthly fee, and many also feature cultural, exercise, culinary and craft groups that meet regularly to keep residents active and involved in their community. Engaging your loved one in these activities can help them feel like part of it while staying healthy and staying engaged with activities they enjoy.
Meal preparation
Cooking and meal preparation is a key aspect of assisted living. It provides nutritious meals tailored specifically to elderly residents’ dietary requirements, often prepared by professional chefs with sides and beverages provided for accompaniment. Such meals help prevent malnutrition while improving resident health.
Traveling to grocery stores and waiting in checkout lines may not always be enjoyable activities for seniors living with mobility challenges, making grocery trips tiresome affairs. Thankfully, many assisted living communities provide meal services which take away these worries while providing delicious meals!
Meal preparation for seniors is vitally important to their wellbeing. Offering them nutritious and delicious food throughout the day helps decrease boredom and make them feel at home – but be wary with portion sizes – too much fat, salt and sugar may lead to heart issues; and processed and packaged food should be replaced by fresh, natural and unprocessed options whenever possible; snack items should stay below 200 Calories!
Housekeeping
An ideal living environment is vitally important to assisted living residents. Cluttered areas make it hard for residents to move around freely and can increase the risk of accidents like falls. Furthermore, keeping surfaces disinfected and regularly swept helps stop germs and infections spreading and promote mental well-being while making residents more at ease in their surroundings.
Housekeepers at assisted living communities are responsible for keeping rooms, public areas and bathrooms tidy on an ongoing basis. Their duties can range from daily, weekly or monthly cleaning responsibilities, so as to maintain a sanitary atmosphere for residents, staff and visitors.
Housekeepers provide basic cleaning services, such as vacuuming carpets, washing linens and sweeping floors; as well as performing miscellaneous light repairs such as plunging toilets. In addition, they supervise other housekeeping staff as well as maintaining records on supplies costs usage as well as helping train and schedule the team of housekeepers. In the United States the average salary of an assisted living housekeeper is $30,740 annually with some cities offering higher pay.
Transportation
At an assisted living facility, residents typically benefit from transportation services to keep appointments on schedule and maintain connections within their communities. Transportation can often be seen as an integral service, particularly as many older adults no longer possess access to or afford driving vehicles themselves.
Large assisted living facilities typically provide transportation services such as scheduled rides to social activities and shopping trips; medical appointments; and their monthly rate includes this cost.
Alternatively, facilities can partner with independent private services that offer transportation at a more reasonable cost than taxi services. You can learn about them by reaching out to your Area Agency on Aging; AAA also have tools available that will assist in finding low cost transport options; companies like Uber and Lyft provide on-demand ride services at discounted rates for seniors when family is not available to provide a ride service.
Socialization
An individual living alone may experience depression, anxiety, and other health conditions due to isolation. Loneliness also weakens immune systems and increases chances of infection; assisted living communities provide opportunities for social interactions to reduce isolation while making seniors feel secure and safe.
Furthermore, these organizations offer various social activities and events designed to foster healthy lifestyles among senior adults. Such events include exercise classes, book clubs and game nights that allow seniors to meet new people while forging new relationships while simultaneously relieving feelings of isolation or depression.
Spend as much time with family and friends as possible; regular visits help seniors feel loved and secure. A pet can also be an amazing companion and help keep loneliness at bay. But be patient as it might take time for your loved one to break into existing friend groups; initially they might prefer being on their own for several days or weeks but eventually, they’ll come around to enjoying companionship from others.