If you or your loved one need a level of assistance with your daily living events such as cooking, bathing yourself, but don’t need the type of 24-hour professional nursing care offered in a nursing home, then an assisted living activity may be what you need. This is an in-and-out service, where a senior accesses the necessary assistance but still has maximum independence. The facility operates on the idea of providing a setting offering maximum socialization opportunity, emphasizing on their wellbeing, while providing a home-like atmosphere with more freedom. America has roughly 30,200 assisted living centers; all strive to serve the same general populace, probably with the same general objectives but, they are very different when it comes to size, culture, specialties as well as costs. So, not every facility will fit you or your loved one’s needs. Therefore, how do you identify the right assisted living facility? Listed below are a few factors that you should mull over when picking an assisted living facility.
Most often, the goal is to avoid a lot of moving, and so you want an option within your local area. However, the location of the assisted living center also makes a significant difference in how operations are run because of the laws governing the area. For instance, some states regulate how much medical assistance is offered in the facilities. Therefore, if you or your loved ones require a considerable level in those states, an assisted living residence may not be the right option, and you may need to consider a facility in another state. With that in mind, take time to learn the laws in your state and know if you make as a candidate for assisted living. Besides that, ensure that the assisted living facility you are going for is near your residence.
Furthermore, look at the services offered by different residences. Although the standard assisted living facility provides dining, housekeeping services, exercise, and wellness programs as well as medication administration provision, some offer customized services depending on specific health wants. This may depend on supply and demand. For example, roughly 60 percent of the residence today provide an Alzheimer’s disease program. The same fraction of communities has a diabetes program, and around half of them accommodate heart and depression programs. Therefore, you should know what services are a must-have for your needs. Settle for facilities with programs focused on improving life quality.
The idea of transitioning from complete freedom or independence to a community with care is not a simple one, for sure. As such, it is normal resisting trying to think through the next move. So, think bigger – life has various stages, getting to an assisted living facility is a daunting one but remember that at some point one may need to move to a specialized nursing facility when the need arises. So check how the facilities transition to higher, skilled care. You should think about the needs of your loved one after a few years in the facility, and therefore, look for one with relationships with other health care providers in the nursing field to ensure there is a smooth transition of residents.