While many aging individuals are wary of leaving their family home to move into assisted living, the truth is that an assisted living community could be better than living at home when it comes to quality of life, social life and wellness for seniors.
Family members who start to notice that their loved ones are needing more care may question how to handle these changing health needs. Inevitably, the day comes to assess whether our loved ones need more assistance and care than they have in their family home environment.
Learn more about what assisted living can provide your family and how to address any care concerns.
Benefits of Senior Living
Many seniors are resistant to assisted living stating that they “don’t want to be in a home,” but often, a little education about the wonderful senior living communities and options available today, in addition to touring the communities, can help families and their loved ones choose the best option for their unique situations.
In fact, research has shown that aging individuals prefer assisted living over other types of care, as these communities have expanded their market by offering numerous services and convenient living arrangements that can drastically increase quality of life.
Deciding what is best for your family is a personal decision, but luckily, there are wonderful resources to help you make the best and most informed decision for your aging loved ones.
Better Health and Happiness Are a Way of Life in Assisted Living
Assisted living is a great step for individuals who need more socialization and help with daily needs than the family can provide at home.
There are many different types of senior living care, from assisted living and independent living to memory care. Each of these options can offer wonderful assistance, socialization and living arrangements for the level of care that your loved one needs.
Here are a few compelling reasons to consider assisted living for your loved one:
1. Chef-Prepared, Nutritious Meals
Assisted living offers nutritious, chef-prepared cuisine catered for specific medical conditions and needs. Residents are served three meals a day tailored to their changing health needs and some luxury communities even offer luxury dining.
2. Help With Daily Living
Family caregivers are generally responsible for helping with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing and eating when a senior loved one lives at home. In other cases, the family or the senior themselves must bear the cost of a home care aide. Both of these options can cause strain on the family. In contrast, one of the most basic tenets of assisted living is helping their residents with these ADLs so that they can continue to function as independently as possible.
3. Intellectual Stimulation
Many Assisted living communities offer many opportunities for learning, such as book clubs, computer classes, gardening and more.
4. No Stress of Housekeeping and Transportation
Keeping up with appointments, daily chores and housekeeping are often stressful for not only seniors but also their family. The vast majority of these burdens are relieved in assisted living as the community offers housekeeping and transportation services.
5. Physical Activity and Fitness
Many assisted living communities offer exercise classes or have a space in which residents can engage in physical activities. Some communities have walking trails or paths that allow the individuals to enjoy the outdoors at their leisure.
6. Safe Living Environment
Often, home modifications and in-home care are required for a safe living environment in the family home, which can be very costly. Assisted living is designed for accessibility and mobility while also offering expert care and medical attention if needed.
7. Social Activity
Living at home can be isolating. Seniors often find it difficult to maintain their social relationships when they are retired or physically and/or mentally compromised. Assisted living offers socialization through planned activities and outings, such as cultural events and field trips. Daily living in the common areas also offers fun and socialization for individuals.
Your Assisted Living Questions: Answered
Here are some of the main concerns for families with aging loved ones or individuals
who need extra care and assistance in their daily life:
How Does One Pay for Care?
Some popular methods for financing assisted living include:
- Home equity and reverse mortgage
- Income and savings
- Life insurance policies
- Long-term care insurance
- Medicaid
- Support from family members
- Veteran’s benefits
How Much Does Assisted Living Cost?
Families are often concerned about the cost of assisted living care. However, many people are surprised at how affordable this type of care really is, particularly when comparing the cost of living at home.
What Do I Look for When Touring Communities?
- General observations: Do staff call residents by name? Do residents appear
engaged and happy? - Legal and financial questions: Will you need renters insurance? Are there move-in
incentives? - Safety features: How do they handle medical emergencies? Is there a visiting
physician or registered nurse on staff? - Cleanliness and Care: Is the Assisted Living home clean and inviting? Do residents
seem to be receiving the proper care that they need?
Where Should My Loved One Move?
- For Active, Healthy Seniors: You’ll know the differences between 55 and over
apartments vs. independent living facilities. - For Seniors Who Need Daily Support: We compare assisted living, memory
care and residential care homes. - For Seniors Who Live at Home: There are options for adult day care, home care
and respite care.
Transitioning to Assisted Living
Making the decision to move to assisted living is now much easier since families have learned the benefits of senior health and happiness. This doesn’t mean, however, that the transition to an assisted living home will be easy. Be prepared to have some tough family conversations. Stay firm in your decision but offer lots of support to your aging loved one throughout this new journey as it can seem scary and overwhelming at times.
Change is hard for everyone and can be especially hard on aging individuals. Decide together what important documentation and keepsakes should be taken to your loved one’s new home. Don’t allow the emotional and logistical challenges of finding assisted living overwhelm you. Stay positive and know that things will get easier once your loved one has adjusted to their new home.
Here at Pineview Assisted Living, we are dedicated to assisting you with any and all questions that you may have in regards to finding the right assisted living home for your loved one. Please contact us for more information or to schedule a tour.