Assisted Living: What Is It And What Seniors Can Get From It

Seniors who need additional medical care have several options to choose from. While home care is the common one they go for, another option they might want to consider. But how does it work and how can they get more out of it? Home health care provider Amavi gives you a handy guide. 

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Understanding How Assisted Living Works

At its most basic, assisted living is a form of care for seniors who might need additional help with their daily living. That includes things like cooking, grooming, and going to the bathroom. It also helps you with more specific medical needs like traveling to doctor appointments.

Its main difference from traditional home health care is that all of these happen in a dedicated facility. Here, they will be living with other seniors enrolled in the program. The service provides 24/7 care and can be contacted as needed. 

Assisted Living vs. Nursing Homes

Because they both provide in-facility care, assisted living and nursing homes may look similar. However, there are a few key differences. One of these is the level of medical care that they provide. In most cases, assisted living offers generalized medical services such as vital signs monitoring and treatment., On the other hand, nursing homes may delve more into dedicated care. That is especially the case when dealing with more serious conditions. 

Another interesting difference is the amenities that both offer. Nursing homes often focus on providing full medical care support. On the other hand, the amenities provided by the assisted living move towards providing maximum living comfort for residents. Thus, you will encounter things like restaurant-style dining and even recreational facilities. 

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Why Assisted Living Is A Good Option

Given the above, you might wonder why assisted living might be a more suitable care option. Here are several key benefits you or your older loved ones would want to consider. 

Personalized Care

One of the main benefits that assisted living offers is personalized care. The provider creates your program based on your specific needs and experiences. They also use a more holistic approach based on this. As such, you feel more comfortable under their watch. 

Greater Independence

Depending on their situation, seniors might still prefer doing everything on their own. Hence, assisted living offers them greater independence, with the things they need right there. On the other hand, the support staff is always on standby should they need it. 

Social Activities And Engagement

Regular socialization can impact the health of older people significantly. For instance, it helps them keep their mind short as they interact with their peers. Assisted living facilities provide all manner of social engagement activities for that purpose. For instance, they organize group activities based on the shared interests of residents. 

Greater Safety And Security

One of the common fears that anyone has is the safety of their older loved ones who are living away from them. An assisted living facility offers greater security with its round-the-clock monitoring of wards. It also has a quick response team on standby in case of emergencies.

A Homelike Setting

As we already know, the home is still considered the best setting for a senior’s health. In that regard, assisted living offers a homelike atmosphere. With that, seniors can feel more at ease during their stay. 

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Types Of Elderly Care Services

Deciding Whether Assisted Living Is The Right One For A Senior

Enrolling an older relative in an assisted living program requires plenty of thought. After all, they will be staying at a place different from their usual surroundings. As such, you need to plan the effort carefully. 

The Signs To Watch Out6 For

To determine whether your loved one might need to enter assisted living, you should know the signs. Some of these are: 

  • Frequent bruises: They might be falling or injuring themselves when trying to move around. 
  • Wearing the same clothes over and over again: Your loved one might also be neglecting their personal hygiene.
  • Forgetting things: You might notice your elderly loved one struggling with recalling where they put items or other things they need to do. 
  • They are not eating right: You might notice your loved one is losing weight. There might also be too much leftover food. 
  • Your loved one is often lonely: This can indicate depression from living alone. 

These circumstances might not always indicate that your loved one should move to an assisted living facility. As such, you should always talk to them after observing these signs. They can tell you exactly what they feel. From there, you can open up the idea of moving to a facility for them. 

Making The Move

Once you enroll your loved one in an assisted living facility, you should prepare for the move. Here, you might encounter some resistance from them. They might think that you are throwing them out of your life.

To resolve that, patiently talk to them. Explain that moving to the facility does not equate to you abandoning them. Elaborate on how the move can help them, such as getting better care. 

You should also give them time to settle in. According to experts, it can take six months for a senior to adjust to assisted living. During that time, you should expect some more questions. Stay focused on the reason why you made the decision and use these to guide your answers. 

On the other hand, you also need to acknowledge the difficulties they and you are having with the move. Listen to their concerns and fears and think about ways to resolve them. The staff of the assisted living facility can help you here. 

Organize Visits

Even with the company of other seniors in the community, your loved one might still feel lonely. As such, you want to keep in touch with them regularly. Being with them at least once every week is a great way to alleviate their loneliness. 

Of course, there might be instances when you might not be available for those visits. Prepare for such occasions by having relatives do that on your behalf. Of course, you should be ready to explain your absence. Be truthful here, as you don’t want your loved one to think it is your way of getting out. 

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Providing More Than Just Home Health Care And Embracing Assisted Living

Ensuring that your elderly loved one’s move to assisted living is a success requires some expert help. Amavi is ready to provide that for you. During the move itself, we can provide counseling to help deal with the emotional impact. We can also provide companionship services for that purpose. 

Assisted living is a great alternative to home health care for seniors. And Amavi is ready to help your older loved one make the most from that experience. Contact us today and let’s make it worthwhile for them. 

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