8 Benefits of Senior Assisted Living Centers
You’ve been worried for a while about your loved one living on their own. You’ve been thinking about putting them in a senior assisted living home but you’re worried that they’ll be mad at you over it.
Assisted living homes sometimes have a bad reputation with seniors because they’re worried about losing their independence. The truth is that while they’ll have someone helping them with daily tasks, they’ll still have plenty of time to themselves.
Time to themselves isn’t the only benefit they’ll receive from being in an assisted living home. Keep reading to find out more about why you should consider this option for your loved one.
1. Assisted Living Homes Provide Safety
With age comes a brand-new set of hazards such as falling. Falls can become increasingly deadly depending on how long the senior goes without assistance. In assisted living homes, there’s always someone on staff who can provide aid.
Providing emergency aid isn’t the only thing that the staff is around for. Many seniors will miss doses of medication due to forgetfulness or stubbornness. Nurses and staff are there to make sure that they never forget.
2. Your Loved One Will Get Help with Daily Living
Performing basic tasks such as bathing, eating, and dressing isn’t as easy as it looks for some seniors. You can rest easy knowing that a staff member will be on duty 24/7 to help your loved one with these tasks.
Granted, this extra help is a worry for some seniors. They may feel some type of shame from being helped. The good news is that assisted living professionals are trained to help in ways that allow seniors to retain their independence and privacy.
3. There Are Regularly Scheduled Activities
It’s as important to exercise as a senior as it is when you’re a young adult. Inactive seniors suffer from bone issues, muscle weakness, and much more. Assisted living homes will help your loved one get up and moving with regularly scheduled activities.
These activities won’t only fuel their bodies but their minds as well. Some facilities offer trips to museums and there will be places around the living home that provide classes for the elderly. Who knows, your loved one may end up finding a hobby that makes them happy.
4. There’s Less Risk for Social Isolation
One of the main causes of senior depression is loneliness. Staying at home increases the risk because it keeps them isolated. Assisted living homes hold social events that give seniors the chance to interact with their fellow residents and staff members.
Of course, making friends in the assisted living home is no replacement from seeing family, but it does help keep the loneliness away at least.
5. All Their Needs Are Met by Someone Else
Every single meal prepared in an assisted living home is nutritious and made with the needs of the residents in mind. Your loved one will receive three meals a day, tailored to their changing health and medical needs.
Food isn’t the only thing that your resident will be provided with. Driving can be a bit hazardous for seniors. It’s also a hassle.
Many senior living homes will take your loved one to doctor’s appointments and anywhere else they need to go. Your resident won’t even have to worry about keeping their space clean. A staff member will be there to take care of that too.
6. Your Loved One Will Have Options
The world of assisted living has grown. Your senior will have plenty of options in terms of communities. There are specialty homes that are greener than others or are created with LGBT residents in mind. Some even offer college classes for seniors that want to spend their golden years focusing on their education.
With all these options your senior will have no problem finding a community that matches up with their values so they can feel right at home.
7. They Can Still Keep Some of Their Independence
Just because your loved one is receiving help from staff members, doesn’t mean that they have to give up their independence. Again, the staff will be trained to assist your senior while keeping their dignity intact.
At the end of the day, they always have their own room as well. Most assisted living communities offer private rooms for residents to lease. They won’t have a roommate and they don’t have to stay out in the main area if they don’t want to.
They can go close themselves behind a door when they need to recharge their social battery or if they want a little time alone.
8. They’ll Have More Free Time
All your senior’s needs will be met by someone else. They don’t have to worry about cleaning the house or doing yard work. This allows them to spend their time pursuing other interests.
They can pick up that reading list that they’ve always wanted to start. If they become interested in a new hobby, they’ll have plenty of time to go headlong into it. If they have some other lifelong interest that they had to put on hold, they’ll be able to pick it back up.
Senior Assisted Living Homes Are a Good Choice for Your Loved One
It can be scary to move your loved one into a senior assisted living home. You don’t want them to be mad at you over it and you’re always going to be worried about them being taken care of.
Rest assured, assisted living isn’t as bad as some make it out to be. Your senior will be taken care of while also keeping their independence. It’s the safest place for them to be.
Are you looking around for an assisted living home for your loved one? Go here to book a tour of our facility.