Moving to assisted living can feel intimidating, overwhelming, and just plain hard. It can mean going through decades of household items, saying goodbye to a family home, and the end of a chapter. It is also is the beginning of an awesome new journey with new opportunities and new adventures waiting each day.
Take a closer look at what assisted living is, when it’s time to make the move, choosing assisted living, and how moving to senior living can improve health and overall wellness.
What is Assisted Living?
Today’s assisted living communities are constantly evolving to better serve an active generation of seniors. Many assisted living communities today offer a continuum of care with services ranging from independent living, assistance with activities of daily living, and memory care. This allows residents to stay in a community, even if needs should change over time.
Many assisted living communities offer seniors a carefree way of living with housekeeping services, linen and laundry services, holistic dining plans, fitness classes, day trips, dynamic activity calendars, and so much more. Assisted living communities are equipped to help residents manage activities of daily living including bathing, dressing, mobility, continence, eating, and personal grooming.
More than just senior living, today’s senior housing options often offer a true community where seniors receive the care services that empower them to live independently, living better than ever in retirement.
When is it Time for Assisted Living?
Americans are living longer and healthier lives than ever and many seniors want to live at their homes for as long as possible. However, there are certain signs that may indicate it’s time to move to assisted living.
1. Feelings of isolation or loneliness
More than just occasional loneliness, isolation and chronic loneliness can lead to severe health issues for many seniors. A lack of community can cause depression linked to chronic health issues such as dementia and heart disease, lead to unhealthy behaviors like smoking or abusing prescription medication, and even an increased risk of mortality.
2. A decline in health and increase in frailty
According to the AARP, more than 70 million Americans aged 50 and older have at least one chronic medical condition. With age, these chronic conditions require more care and the potential for a chronic health crises only increases. It’s better for a senior to be in a care community prepared to prevent (and handle, if necessary) a crisis.
3. Financial mismanagement
Seniors often find they can not keep up with piling bills, online payments, and more with age. Noticing unpaid bills, an increase in collectors, and a growing pile of debt may indicate it is time to make the move to assisted living. Seniors living on their own can also fall prey to financial scams that can put their retirement savings at risk.
4. Hoarding
Hoarding is more than just collecting a lifetime of memories. It’s dangerous, can increase the likelihood of falls and affects seniors between the ages of 55 and 95 three times more than adults between the ages of 34 and 44. Hoarding can block first responders in an emergency, create a fire hazard, and even cause disease from unsanitary living conditions.
5. Poor hygiene
Cleanliness is crucial to overall health and wellness. Aging can make some seniors afraid to bath as nearly 80% of falls occur in the bathroom. Infrequent bathing and laundry, messy hair, dirty nails, and bad body odor all may indicate it’s time to seek assisted living.
Experience Leisure Care Assisted Living
Why is Moving to Assisted Living Better for Senior Health?
These are all telltale signs that it’s time to consider moving. However, you do not have to wait for these signs to make the move. Finding the right community is time-intensive and you need to be prepared to make the move when the time comes. These 8 benefits to assisted living can help you and your loved ones look forward to your next chapter. Get ready – it’s going to be a good one.
1. Prevent Social Isolation
Seniors living alone are at a higher risk for social isolation and increased feelings of loneliness and depression. In assisted living, seniors live in a community environment with friends and staff encouraging participation in social events. Our communities have dynamic and diverse activity calendars with the opportunity for residents to take up new hobbies, join a new fitness class, and even travel to a part of the world they have never seen.
Seniors who move in to our communities plug in quickly, making new friends, knowing staff members by name, and feeling connected to a larger community of people who are in the same life chapter. Moving to assisted living earlier can help seniors avoid these feelings of isolation that can lead to chronic loneliness, bringing increased physical health and overall wellness.
2. 24/7 Professional and Compassionate Care
Residents in assisted living often need help with activities of daily living, which includes dressing, bathing, hygiene, medication assistance, and more. Leisure Care communities offer around the clock care to ensure that needs are being met as they arise and each resident is receiving the attention they need and deserve. Every staff member is well-trained to provide the care residents need in a way to protects privacy and promotes dignity.
Care services are provided a la carte so that each resident receives the care services he or she needs, when needed. Care plans are regularly reviewed so that the appropriate level of care is being provided at each stage of aging. No matter if it’s managing a complex medication schedule, choosing an outfit a day of shopping, or an escort to today’s yoga class, the staff at our assisted living communities are standing by to help.
The care provided in today’s senior communities empower seniors to thrive, to pursue new passions, and to create the retirement of their dreams.
3. A Focus on Independence and Fun
While these communities are a great place to receive customized care services, assistance is provided with an eye on independence and fun – ensuring residents are doing what they can when they can. We know that fun is an important component of aging well and our communities have a variety of ways of providing that fun. Think of assisted living care like the background to your life. It enables you to live more carefree, more confidently, and with more FUN!
We are always here to lend a helping hand by providing assistance or by joining residents for a meal or an evening stroll.
4. More Free Time
It’s time to put aside the housework, yard work, and home maintenance. For many seniors, the burden of home ownership is possible – it’s just annoying. We know that seniors have better things to do than shovel snow, mow the lawn, and clean their house.
Assisted living communities are hassle-free. Residents don’t have to worry about the cleaning, the cooking, the shoveling. It’s our pleasure to work for each of our residents, allowing them to catch up on a reading list, plan a trip across the ocean, find a new hobby, or invest more time into a lifelong interest. Making the move to assisted living means doing more of what you love.
5. Delicious Meals
Healthy residents are happy resident and meals in assisted living are specifically created to benefit senior health. Cooking for yourself by yourself can grow challenging. With nutritious meals prepared by talented chefs, residents in these communities enjoy delicious meals that are not only good for health but taste good too. Also, elegant dining rooms encourage meal times with friends, making each dinner not just a meal but a fun social event.
Invite friends and family members to enjoy a meal with you or celebrate a special milestone with loved ones in one of our private dining areas. Moving into assisted living allows you to celebrate the every day often.
6. Readily Available and Safe Transportation
When driving becomes unsafe, or car ownership becomes too much of a hassle, assisted living communities offer reliable transportation to local shopping, dining, events, and doctor appointments. No more shoveling the car out of snow, de-icing the windshield, or driving through heavy rains. Trusted transportation gets residents where they need to go when they need to go.
Avoid a dangerous situation, or just the hassle of home ownership, by moving into assisted living. Let the staff to get you where you need to go safely and on time.
7. An Investment in the Future
A move into assisted living is a move into a lifestyle that promotes healthy senior living and opens up a plethora of options for the future if needs should change over time. Each resident has an individualized, custom care plan that is regularly evaluated by a medical team, ensuring that any change in health is noticed as it happens, resulting in early diagnosis and, inevitably, better treatment options.
Residents in assisted living communities have access to PrimeFit, a nationally branded fitness program, specifically designed for seniors. With personal training sessions, group fitness, and even access to BrainHQ, a brain fitness class, seniors in assisted living live healthier than ever.
8. Peace of Mind
All of these benefits work together to create the ultimate benefit: peace of mind. Friends and family of residents rest easy, knowing their loved one is being well cared for in a home-like environment where their needs are seen. Seniors themselves rest easier too, with the knowledge that they have a family in their community who is there for them, cheering for them, and helping make the most of every day.
Finding Quality Assisted Living
Sound too good to be true? It’s not – if you know what you’re looking for. The truth is that you can’t get where you are going if you don’t know where to start. When searching for senior living, it’s important to ask the right questions, ensuring you have found the right place to call home.
1. Consider your care options.
Does the community you are considering offer a range of senior care services? What will happen if your care needs advance over time? Can you stay in your apartment or will you have to move to a new neighborhood? Do care costs increase as services are added?
2. Know what services are being provided – and for what cost.
Be extremely clear on what amenities and service are provided for at what cost. Some services may cost extra and some communities may not be able to provide the services you want or need.
3. Know how the medical team will communicate with you and your family.
Are there weekly check-ins? Are the check-ins done in person or via email? Clearly communicate your expectations so there are no surprises after move-in.
4. Walk through financial payment options.
Will you be using veteran’s benefits to pay for care? How does the community want you to pay for services? And when? Does the community take a credit card? What about a personal check?
5. Ask for a copy of the calendar.
Are there activities that interest you? Can you join in an activity before committing to moving in? Would they allow you to try their respite care program before signing a move-in contract?
What’s holding you back? A move into senior living is a move for yourself – for your health, your wellness, your future. Visit one of our assisted living communities today. We’d love to show you around, enjoy a hot meal in our on-site restaurant, and walk through what a Leisure Care move looks like.
Find a Leisure Care Community
Better with age, exceptional with us! Come and see how Leisure Care communities are helping seniors rediscover (and sometimes reinvent) themselves.
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