What is Assisted Living?
The older people find it difficult to carry out the daily activities and need help here or there in their life. Here comes the need for assisted living as these are residential homes design especially for the older people. In an assisted living facility, they get both the personal and medical services. It’s difficult to find such facilities in an independent or retirement community. But it’s important to understand that an assisted facility is for people who are mobile and don’t need the 24 hours nursing supervision. Arcadia gardens assisted living is one such facility where the old people just feel like home and live happily.
In addition, in an assisted facility you get full safety, security and support round the clock, as the help is just a phone call away. Getting good meals, going for doctor appointments, keeping house clean and much more is available so that you can live life with peace. Moreover, in addition to these prime services you can still enjoy your independence and privacy. But, it’s important to find the right assisted living facility for you, as they offer personalized plans depending upon your disability needs so that you can enjoy comfort and freedom too.
An assisted living family can be an individual room, apartment or a shared quarter but the most important aspect is that it should feel like home and promote the independence of the older people. Most of the facilities offer a plethora of services making it very difficult to choose the one that’s perfect for you. To make your search simpler it’s important to know that there are various other names for assisted living facilities such as residential care, adult care home, sheltered housing, congregate care, board and care, extra-house housing, adult group home and alternative care facility.
Common Services Offered:
- Three time meals
- 24/7 Emergency call system
- Housekeeping services
- Assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, walking, etc.
- Laundry services
- On time medication
- Social and recreational activities
- 24/7 security
- Health and medical services
- Exercise and wellness programs designed especially for older people
- Ready to help staff for scheduled hospital visits and unexpected issues
Is Assisted Facility Right for you?
Well, before finding an assisted facility for you, it’s important to understand whether it’s the right thing for you? To sort this, ask the following questions from you?
- Do you need more help in carrying out your daily activities than what you are getting from your family and friends?
- Do you feel isolated, depressed or lonely at home?
- Do you feel worried about your safety and emergency help is a concern?
- Are you not able to maintain your home properly?
- Is Transportation a concern and going out looks more like a struggle?
If the answers to these questions are yes, then look for an Arcadia assisted living facility in your neighbourhood to live a happy life.
Warning Signs to Note
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand that your parent or loved ones needs more help in the form of assisted living, thus look out for these warning signs:
- They are losing weight or the refrigerator is empty or filled with spoiled food, giving you an idea that they are eating less because of shopping or cooking issues.
- Noticing frequent bruises of falling down or due to balance problems.
- Personal hygiene is being neglect as they keep wearing the same clothes again and again.
- The house stays dirty and things are scatter here and there.
- They are depress and show strange and inappropriate behavior.
- They often forget things like taking medicines, or doctor appointments indicating memory loss.
If you have finally made up your mind that your parents or loved ones need assisted living facilities, then it’s important to find the best facility for them so that they can lead a stress free life in their old age.
What to Look for in an Assisted Living Facility?
Evaluate the assisted living facilities properly to find the right one that meets all your requirements.
Thus, have a look at these important points:
- Does the residence have a proper license and insurance?
- Their visitation policy and how they cope with medical emergencies?
- Do they have trained staff members to assist different issues of residents and is staff turnover rapid or slow?
- Are there staff members warmly and available to meet both the schedule and unscheduled needs?
- Do the residents living there seem happy and comfortable?
- Look at the feedback of the visitors, inmates and volunteers.
- Are the residents living there social and are at par with your functioning?
- Does the facility’s appearance and surroundings feel like home?
- Does the facility have an easy to follow floor plan and has easy access for wheelchairs and walkers in rooms, hallways and doorways?
- Do they have elevators, handrails for easy walking, good natural and artificial lighting, non-skid material flooring and finally a clean and odor free environment?
- Do they have a provision for appropriate heating and cooling as per the weather conditions?
- Do they have a proper policy regarding the medication storage, administration and record keeping for each resident?
- Do they have regular medical check-up visits, a pharmacy or medicine delivery service?
- Look at their coordination regarding the medicines administration?
- Do their staff members provide 24-hour assistance with daily activities like eating, laundry, hygiene and grooming, dressing, shopping, bathing, transportation, etc.
- Do they have a 24 hour emergency response system in all the units?
- If the units feel like home, have a kitchen area or a telephone, televisions, have a bathroom, etc.
- Look at their social and recreational activities as it’s very important to stay social in old age.
- Do they provide 3 times balanced meals and snacks? Do they have a different dining area or are serve food at their units only?
- Are the resident food preferences consider?
- Do they have a write plan for the care of each resident and are the residents bound to follow all the instructions?
- Do they have a contract stating the costs of all the services offered and the rate for any additional services, if needed?
- Finally, is there any program – corporate, government or private that covers the cost of their services?
Well, now when you are completely aware about what assisted living facilities are, their services. How to know whether your family or loved ones need them and what to look for in an assisted facility. Then, make sure to find the best assisted living facility for your loved ones. so that they can lead a happy and comfortable life without the stress of doing their daily chores themselves. Arcadia greens assisted living facility is one such best facility in Arcadia CA. And old people who are looking for a home with all facilities away from their own home.
