Quality of Life In Assisted Living Communities
February 12, 2018Baby boomers are continuing to retire in large numbers and catering to their quality of life has become an important concern for all the millennials. Your parents might not find this to be such a bright idea, even though it has been observed that assisted living communities are able to offer better living standards to seniors. Apart from ensuring that all their needs are fulfilled, your parents find themselves in a friendly and social able environment, where they make new friends and maintain their independence.
Many senior living communities offer 24-hour personal caretaking services as well as nutrition and support services designed specifically to the needs of elderly or anyone who needs care. The residents are able to maintain a healthy social life and independently live the way they want. These kind of assisted living facilities are great for people who might not be aided so well at home and who also do not need round the clock care.
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The quality of life at an assisted living community can be judged upon certain factors, which are described below:
Access to fitness training
As seniors are more prone to getting stiff and having other medical issues, a specifically designed training program for them should be an important aspect in measuring their quality of life. A proper gym with a trainer and organized weekly classes helps seniors to stay fit and keep their joints moving. Certain other classes such as yoga, Zumba, tai chi and other martial arts that are not so difficult, can be included in the training program to improve the quality of life in an assisted living community.
Opportunities for socializing
Living at home can be detaching and is the major cause of depression among seniors. Without any work to do, humans become impatient and often find themselves in a melancholy mood as a result. A well-managed assisted living community ensures proper interaction among all its residents by organizing field trips, activities, dancing, and cultural events. These socializing gatherings are a great source of building trust among each other and breaks the social barriers among residents. Also, when you are living among people of same age, it becomes easy to communicate, which is the basis of forming a trustable relation.
Safe living environment
A safe living environment is a key to maintaining a high-quality assisted living community. As seniors are more prone to fall sick, a proper first aid care should be ready at all times. Shower railings and other medical alert systems need to be in place for people who might need assistance in the matter. Space, within the community should be designed as such, that residents should be able to easily maneuver through it without the risk of an accident. Mobility and accessibility are two key concerns for an assisted living community.
Supervised nutrition
Supervised nutrition can be tough to maintain when you are living at home because of hectic daily schedules. Seniors living alone might not be able to cater to their nutritional needs because of various reasons. An assisted living community, if facilitated by qualified nutritionists who calculate the daily demands on an individual precisely can ensure the resident receives the exact amount of nutrients. Proper meals are served three times a day including epicurean dinings at some of the high-end communities. Basically, catering to all the nutrition-related issues are the priority of an assisted living facilities.
Housekeeping and other activities
While living at home, keeping the house clean, maintaining the garden, doing household chores and other similar activities need to be taken care. However, just the opposite is true in a senior assisted living facility. Often a friendly environment is created among the employees and the residents to ensure that everything is done in harmony and daily life moves on smoothly. A feeling of community and association is developed among the residents, which helps to maintain balance in an assisted home.
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Some seniors may need help in their basic day to day activities such as dressing, eating, and bathing. The job of the assisted living community is to take care of all these requirements to the best of their ability to make certain the senior maintains a high standard of living.
All these factors are important indicators for measuring the quality of life in an assisted community and should be referred to before choosing one for yourself.