They’re not getting around as well as they used to. You’re concerned about their medications and their safety. When the decision is made to research relocating a loved one to assisted living care in Georgia and Tennessee many questions arise. What are realistic expectations for families when that day arrives?
1. Optimum Environment
A thriving community is laid out to provide enriching activities in a safe environment for senior loved ones. Most assisted living communities’ average between 40 and 120 residents. This may vary depending on the size and layout of the community. Each resident (or couple) lives in their own studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment. They have their own set of keys to come and go as they desire. Meals are provided in a restaurant-style dining room, to increase social interaction. They can usually select their meals from among several different options. Some units may have kitchen or kitchenette facilities.
Other public areas of the community can include a living room/common area, library, fitness room, activities room, beauty/barber salon, gardening, outdoor seating areas, theater, private dining room and snack bar. Exterior doors are left open and unlocked during regular business hours but visitors are usually required to check in for security purposes.
2. Level of Service
The services that seniors receive in assisted living are offered at different levels and/or by a point system depending on individual needs. All residents are normally assessed by medical staff prior to moving in to determine their current medical, physical and emotional condition for care planning. Fees for assisted living care are typically added to the monthly base rate charged for the accommodations, housekeeping, activities, maintenance, and transportation. Assistance can include any or all of the following:
- Bathing – Standby for safety or full assistance with all bathing
- Dressing – Standby for safety or full assistance with clothing selection and dressing
- Grooming – May include assistance with brushing/combing hair, shaving, brushing teeth, etc.
- Medication – Medications are stored, administered and re-ordered by the assisted living staff
- Toileting – Standby/transferring assistance for safety, reminders, assistance with incontinence products, and hygiene after toileting
- Transferring – Standby or one-person assistance with moving from bed or chair to a walker or wheelchair. Can include escorting to/from meals and activities.
- Personal laundry (laundering of bed linens and towels is included in weekly housekeeping)
- Pet care
- Scheduling medical appointments
3. The Right Place at the Right Time
Assisted living communities are regulated and licensed by each state to provide a specific level of care. Due to many factors such as other residents, staffing and facilities those levels of services provided can’t be exceeded in meeting residents’ care needs. For the safety and proper care of love ones, there are times with they may need to relocate to another care setting in order to ensure they receive the proper level of senior care. Such moves will ensure the safety, security and well-being of all residents. The circumstances below usually require a higher level of care than typical assisted living communities can provide include:
- Aggressive and/or inappropriate behaviors or wandering – characterized by an increasing level of dementia or Alzheimer’s (memory care communities are a better fit for these concerns)
- Sliding-scale diabetes requiring close monitoring and insulin injections administered by a licensed nurse at varying intervals
- Inability to transfer without the assistance of two persons (A safety concern for employees)
- Incontinence that cannot be managed with reminders/products and a toileting schedule
- Intubations including in-dwelling catheters, feeding tubes, colostomy care (unless the resident is working with a home health care plan that will provide visits to the community on a regular basis)
The goal of assisted living is to provide an enriching environment where senior loved ones are safe and can be monitored to offer peace of mind for the seniors and their families. Encouraging active seniors to maintain the greatest level of independence possible while receiving assistance with daily activities are the primary goals of any thriving community. Do you have questions about any of our communities and what they can offer your senior loved one? Contact Senior Solutions, we’re happy to discuss the plans and options with you. We have independent, assisted and memory care communities in Georgia and Tennessee to ensure the safety and life enrichment of your senior loved one.
What is the most important expectation you have regarding assisted living?