Are you you considering moving to an assisted living community? Or maybe are looking into one for your older family member that you can’t take care of or leave on their own.
This can be a hard decision, especially if you’re not clear on what assisted living involves. What are the benefits of assisted living? Many different factors affect joining an assisted living home and we’ll tackle them all.
Learn more about what goes on in an assisted living home with our guide below. Discover why you should be investing in assisted living for you or our family members.
What Is Assisted Living?
An assisted living home or assisted living facility is a housing facility usually for the elderly. It’s for anyone who can’t live or support themselves independently.
It provides housing, personal care, and health care if you have any underlying conditions. Similar to a retirement home or a nursing home, it promotes retirement care but still gives residents an active social life.
When looking at assisted living it’s important to take your time to find the best assisted living community for you to your loved one.
Social Interaction
Loneliness is a big concern and can lead to depression for many seniors. Too much isolation can even lead to higher mortality rates.
While affecting your mental health, chronic loneliness can lead to physical problems. This includes issues linking to dementia and heart disease. It is also correlated with alcohol and prescription drug abuse.
Staying in an assisted living community lets you interact with other people and make strong bonds with those taking care of you. Assisted living is a great way to stay active and engaged and improve happiness.
Increased Health
Most assisted living communities offer different classes for physical fitness. Living on your own might not give you the right push or motivation you need for exercise. But if you’re in an assistant living, there are more opportunities for you to participate in physical activities and programs.
Along with exercising, assisted living also includes healthy and nutritious meals. It can be challenging to make sure that you’re getting the right nutrients even if you have a caregiver. When it comes to assisted living, all your meals are prepared for you.
Assisted living communities will often have a professional chef to cook and serve all meals. Every meal will follow a properly balanced diet and provide the required vitamins and minerals. The staff strives to make each meal delicious to encourage eating.
They also stick to and include any dietary needs and restrictions especially for those who have diabetes or allergies.
Increased Hygiene
As you get older, keeping up with your cleanliness and overall health can be a struggle. Things like bathing and laundry become a challenge when you try to do them yourself. With assisted living, help is always available to tackle these tasks without too much difficulty.
They also help to remind you to keep up your hygiene and follow a schedule.
Less to Worry About
When you’re in an assisted living home, everything gets taken care of for you. This eliminates the stress of worrying about and keeping up with your house responsibilities. Any bills, housekeeping, or chores are in the hands of the staff.
Safe transportation is also available for use whenever you have a doctor’s appointment. This is for medical care that isn’t already provided.
Residents can feel the assurance that they’re surrounded by a community that cares and looks out for them.
24/7 Safety and Care
Since assisted living homes have constant maintenance, there is never a threat of security or health risks. Care is around the clock. Here are some safety benefits that assisted living provides.
Fewer Falls
According to a study from NCOA, every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall. Since there’s 24/7 assistance and monitoring in these centers, there are people to watch over and prevent falls.
Assisted living homes ensure residents’ safety. With house features like ramps, hallway hand railings, flat thresholds, and other specially designed facilities.
Less Medical Emergencies
In assisted living homes, you can rest assured that there is a system to notify any staff members available when something unfortunate happens. This gets rids of the struggle to get help yourself when you come across any health problems.
Stop Boredom
When you’re living by yourself, sometimes there isn’t too much that you can do. After retirement, you suddenly have to face hours of isolation and boredom.
Most assisted living communities provide different programs and activities you can join to make staying there more fun and engaging. This allows you to pick up a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, follow any forgotten passions, or make new acquaintances.