Finding the right senior community for your loved one is an incredibly important responsibility which becomes even more critical when you’re dealing with assisted living for the disabled. People with disabilities require specific accommodations depending on their particular physical or cognitive limitations. As you begin your search for an assisted living community that will suit the needs of your loved one, consider these points:
- Location – A move to an assisted living residence is a huge step for those involved and most people in this situation want to minimize the impact on their life. This usually means that your mom or dad will want to find a place that’s not too far away from their old neighborhood so they can still visit with friends and enjoy the community where they’ve put down roots. This is often even more important for those with disabilities, who have already had to relinquish some part of their previous life and likely don’t want other major life-altering changes.
- Wheelchair access – Finding assisted living for the disabled often requires you to find a community that is wheelchair-friendly. But be careful to consider what kind of wheelchair your loved one uses. Larger motorized wheelchairs need wider hallways and doorways than do non-motorized chairs.
- Ambulatory status – This is a very important factor when evaluating assisted living for the disabled. Depending on state regulations and the community’s admission rules, individuals who are too weak to stand or those who need assistance making transfers from wheelchairs or beds may not meet admission rules set by the assisted living residence. However, be sure to ask if they are willing to install a portable lift system in your loved one’s room. These devices make it easier for staff to move non-ambulatory residents out of bed or into the shower. Because there is a growing non-or-limited-ambulatory population within the disabled community, there is increasing interest in providing more assisted living choices for these people.
- Resident options – If mom and dad are moving into assisted living together, they will want to live in the same space. However, if one is disabled and the other is not, or if they have different disabilities, it’s important to find out how the assisted living community handles this situation. Some will allow mom and dad to stay together and some won’t.
Finding assisted living for the disabled requires you to do your homework so you understand which communities can appropriately accommodate your loved one’s limitations while meeting his or her desired lifestyle. Keep in mind that the right assisted living community can improve many aspects of mom or dad’s life, as they won’t have to struggle so much with the daily activities of life. What experiences did you have finding assisted living for your disabled loved one?
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