Assisted living is a specialist type of housing that offers people a chance to live more comfortable and fulfilled lives.
There are many different types of assisted living facilities currently in operation across the US.
Some cater to people with medical and personal care needs better, while others are more geared toward offering a high level of care to elderly people.
Although facilities tend to specialize in the type of level of care, there are still many similarities in what they tend to provide their residents.
In this article, we are going to dispel any myths surroundings assisted living by highlighting what they are likely to provide.
This will help you gain a better understanding of whether or not an assisted living facility is the right move for your loved one.
What Is an Assisted Living Facility?
Assisted living is a style of housing that caters to people who require help in their everyday lives.
Whether that be personal or medical care, an assisted living facility employs highly trained caregivers to offer people the help they so desperately need.
As we pointed out, there are many different types of assisted living facilities across America that are each ready to offer different types of accommodations.
This could be an individual room, an entire apartment, and sometimes shared rooms.
Whatever the living situation might be, an assisted living facility will do its utmost to provide a homely setting for its residents.
On top of this, they are specially designed to improve their resident’s independence and quality of life.
What Services Do Assisted Living Facilities Provide?
Assisted living is a service-based style of living that offers its residents independence through their ability to provide everyday services.
Learning the different types of services that facilities like this provide will give you the best idea of what to expect.
- Daily meals: One of the most laborious aspects of life is to cook for yourself and eat well while you’re doing it. Assisted living offers people the chance to eat three decent meals every day without the need to lift a finger. This is one of their biggest drawcards and a big reason why so many elderly people take up assisted living in the first place
- Personal care: Another hugely beneficial aspect of assisted living is the level of personal care that they offer. Depending on the level of independence of a resident, the care team is ready to help them in bathing, dressing, and toileting.
Knowing that there is going to be a caregiver there to help with the physical challenges that these everyday personal care struggles represent for some residents is a huge relief.
The personal care offered at assisted living allows residents to feel more comfortable and at the same time makes their everyday safer.
- Medication monitoring: Whether a resident can take their own medication or not, the staff at assisted living will monitor a resident’s medication and subsequent behavior. Not having to worry about whether or not they have taken the correct medication in the right doses is a huge weight off the shoulders of assisted living residents and their families.
- Housekeeping and laundry: Keeping resident rooms clean and tidy and the general areas of the facility is all in a day’s work for the staff. Cleaning can take a huge toll on elderly people that struggle physically. Residing in the fact that their living quarters and the general upkeep of the facility are kept clean and tidy helps people feel more at ease and enjoy the space that they spend so much of their day.
- Social and recreation activities: For elderly people who are used to spending their days on their own, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of assisted living life. Social and recreation activities are rife in assisted living facilities and, by all reports, they are a real hoot. Whether it’s weekly bingo, karaoke, or games nights, most assisted living facilities make social events a top priority of the week.
- Some medical services: Although assisted living facilities are not hospitals, they do their best to offer residents medical services when they need them. Maybe this will simply be a weekly check-up from a doctor or a more in-depth treatment plan. Whatever your elderly loved one may need, an assisted living facility will do its utmost to treat them. If they aren’t able to, after discussing the best plan of action with you, they will make sure your loved one gets the treatment that they need elsewhere.
What Services Do Most Assisted Living Facilities Not Provide?
Assisted living facilities can not provide the same level of care that a nursing home can.
Nursing homes are for residents that require a higher level of care from an experienced nursing team.
In nursing facilities, residents may require full-time care by highly trained medical staff including doctors and nurses. This is not what an assisted living facility provides.
Yes, of course, they will do their best to offer medical assistance to their residents, but this is just general care, not specialist.
Making a distinction between the two and having a think about which type of facility your loved one would most benefit from is an essential first step.
If you are unsure, then your best bet is to speak to the facility coordinators in your area.
They have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can only help you make the best decision that is right for your loved one.
Conclusion
As is evidenced by this article, assisted living facilities are designed to make people’s lives more comfortable and fulfilled.
By helping them with the challenges that everyday struggles present, they will have more energy to take up all the social and recreational activities that assisted living facilities are known for.
We hope very much that you were able to make better sense of what exactly assisted living entails in the modern-day.