Studies show that about 2.5 million older adults live in assisted living communities or nursing homes. With so many people living in these homes, it’s important to understand how to assess the quality of an assisted living center.
The most crucial part of an assisted living community is the healthcare available. Assessing healthcare services in assisted senior living can help you make sure your loved one is getting the care they need and deserve.
If you’re curious about healthcare services in assisted living communities, we’re here to offer our guidance. Read on for seven of the most important factors in meeting elderly needs in healthcare.
Proper Diet
One of the ways that an assisted senior living community can help with the health of residents is through diet. Most assisted living communities have set menus and help provide wholesome, healthy food to the residents.
That isn’t to say that you’ll only be eating what they prepare for you. At Sabine Place, we offer compact kitchens and food storage in your quarters to ensure you’re given space to make your healthy meals.
Sufficient Socialization
Did you know that socialization has plentiful mental health benefits? Socializing with our peers is shown to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms while also keeping our minds sharp. In contrast, a lack of social interaction can lead to our minds deteriorating faster as we age.
Socialization is part of your healthcare, especially as you age. At Sabine, we’re dedicated to tackling the issue of elderly loneliness. While the best thing for the heart is a visit from a loved one, socializing with your fellow residents will help your mind.
At Sabine, we offer scheduled community events and outings. These have the goal of encouraging our residents to get to know one another while also adding enjoyable leisure to their schedules. It’s a great way to brighten your day while also looking after your health.
Various Amenities
Comfort and care are also part of meeting elderly needs through healthcare. There are plenty of amenities that ensure the safety and well-being of residents.
Here at Sabine Place, we use window dressings and climate conditioning to ensure our residents are comfortable and safe. Extremes in temperature can cause health issues, so we do our best to keep our residents away from such threats.
We also offer carpeted flooring which helps to provide better grip when our residents walk. In the unfortunate case of a fall, residents have a softer land on carpeted ground.
Furthermore, we have multiple ways to improve visibility and emergency response. Our living entrances are each lighted to make sure that our residents enter safely and with full vision. Smoke detectors and thorough sprinkler systems make sure that residents are kept safe in the case of a fire.
Aid with Medication Management
Medication management is one of the greatest challenges for anyone on regular medication. For elderly patients where memory issues may occur, medication management becomes significantly more difficult.
Assisted senior living quarters are ideal for helping to assist with medication management. Medical professionals can handle medicine for the patient to make sure that they’re taking the appropriate amount every day.
By having an ongoing relationship with a medicine manager, patients also can discuss any changes in medication. It’s a more effective and safer method of ensuring independence with a bit of help from reliable and trustworthy experts.
Help Reclaiming Independence
Speaking of reclaiming independence, many seniors hesitate to join assisted living communities for this living. The main reasons for a loss of independence are poor physical and mental health, lackluster environmental conditions, and social isolation.
However, assisted living communities are a great way for a resident to reclaim their independence. At home, many of the tasks that a senior needs to take care of can prove more difficult. If there are difficulties with mobility, tasks like shopping or cleaning become significantly more difficult.
The issue is especially prevalent for seniors who deal with chronic pain. The challenges of personal hygiene and even getting dressed pose not just inconvenience but a threat to safety for some seniors.
By living in an assisted living community, seniors can reclaim their independence by having these small tasks aided by professionals. With professional help, seniors can handle these issues swiftly and then move on to the rest of their day.
Senior fitness programs also help to strengthen seniors and put them back in charge of their independence. There’s more to meeting elderly needs than handling things for them: assisted living communities help to put control in your hands.
Ongoing Care
Senior care isn’t a single task. Ongoing care needs to be provided so that seniors are being given the healthcare they need. Assisted living communities are great places to get this care due to the constant presence of staff and professionals.
By providing ongoing care, professionals can monitor any changes in a resident. That benefit is particularly useful for seniors who have ongoing medical conditions. It also will help to spot the first symptoms of budding mental issues like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Help with Handling Existing Illnesses
There’s more to handling illnesses than catching them and monitoring them. The professionals in a senior assisted living community are great for assisting in difficulties posed by a community member’s illnesses.
What the staff can offer depends on the services at each community. Here at Sabine Place, we’re proud to place you in contact with medical professionals who can help you monitor and improve your medical conditions.
Assessing Healthcare Services in Assisted Senior Living
Assessing healthcare services in assisted senior living communities can help you make sure your loved one has the proper care. Prioritize which services are most important to you and begin your assessment there.
At Sabine Place, we offer one of the best assisted living communities in Texas. We help to arrange scheduled doctor appointments and social community events to ensure the needs of our residents are not just met but exceeded. Contact us today to see how we can help fulfill your desires.
