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What to look for in assisted living

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Assisted living centres provide homes for older persons who require moderate help with day-to-day tasks, such as chores, cooking meals, assisting with the activities of daily living and managing medication while allowing residents to live their daily lives on their terms. Find out more.

Suppose you or your loved one are considering moving to an assisted living community. In that case, there’s much to consider before committing to one place over another.

For example, it’s important to examine the type of care certain residences will offer, how much it will cost to retire to an assisted living home and the attitudes that govern the community you’re considering. You can also learn more about assisted living at the provided link.

Before selecting the right place for you or your loved one, we recommend choosing a residence where specific considerations are met to ensure older ones receive proper respect and care.

Let’s examine these key considerations and how they tie into the running of assisted living centres below.


Assisted living standards

All assisted living providers should establish standards around three fundamental concepts: delivering care based on individual needs, following ethical practices, and upholding the residence’s mission statement.

To learn how assisted living centres should apply these factors, let’s examine them in further detail to see what they entail:


Base your care around the person.

The first central aspect of assisted living to consider is to practice person-centred care. While many older individuals will be retiring to an assisted living centre for similar reasons, every resident should be treated as an individual.

For example, one resident may require vigorous exercise to maintain their health, so they will work out often and join in on exercise classes facilitated by their living centre. In contrast, you may have a resident who cannot engage in these activities, as strenuous exercise could put their well-being at risk.

In these cases, the assisted living community might tailor each resident’s exercise plan to their capabilities rather than giving every resident the same exercise regimen.

This type of treatment should also be applied to diet plans, medication administration, and other similar personal requirements.

Not only will following a person’s needs protect their health and wellness, but it will also help them feel appropriately cared for and result in an excellent residential experience for all parties involved.


Practice ethical treatment

It should be no surprise when we recommend that assisted living communities should uphold professional ethics. When an older person comes into the care of one of these centres, they should be treated with the same level of care and respect as every other resident by the staff members looking after their needs.

This type of treatment is crucial in ensuring that you and your loved ones can put your trust in the assisted care home you’ve selected. Older persons should be able to take up residency in their new community without their extended family worrying about whether they’re receiving proper treatment.


Act out the retirement home’s mission statement.

The last guideline to look for is closely following the established mission statement they advertise on their website or company literature.

The mission statement of assisted living care centres should clearly state their values and standards, along with how they strive to uphold them.

For instance, high-quality assisted living communities should strongly emphasize improving the quality of life for residents, streamlining their care and operations, and helping residents improve their health, among other similar goals.

There should also be transparency between staff and potential residents about the importance the care home places on the values mentioned above. This transparency will allow residents to get a better indication of whether the quality of care they’re receiving is as advertised.

Therefore, older persons and their loved ones should carefully examine the operations of the assisted living community they’re considering to ensure all of the above considerations are considered.

Assisted living FAQs

What services do assisted living centres provide?

Assisted living centres provide older adults with a private home where they can receive help with day-to-day chores and daily home maintenance. The most common services offered by assisted living communities are as follows:

  • Regular housekeeping
  • Prepared meals and dining
  • Changed linens and laundry
  • Management of a resident’s medication
  • Scheduled and non-scheduled medical care

In addition to these daily care services, these centres provide amenities and recreational services. They can also assist with bathing and grooming for residents who require extra help.


What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?

While nursing homes and assisted living centres both provide care to their residents, nursing homes are primarily focused on medical care and are usually based in a medical centre.

In contrast, assisted living focuses more on helping older persons with daily tasks from the comfort of an apartment or suite to provide them with more freedom and simplicity.


Takeaway

This blog post should have given you more insight into what to look for when switching to assisted living. First, however, it is essential to research your local options to find the perfect place for yourself or your loved one’s lifestyle. For those looking for more help understanding what assisted living entails, contact your local retirement community or visit our website for additional information.


Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca

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