Growing up can be hard to do, especially when it involves a role reversal where the child must begin taking care of the parent. Often we don’t want to face the difficult reality that our aging loved ones just might need some extra care from an assisted living community.
Unfortunately, this is all part of growing up whether we like it or not, and if we are forced to have to start making tough decisions on behalf of our loved ones then we must do our due diligence. So, let us help make this as easy as we can for you.
Will My Loved Ones Benefit From Assisted Living Care?
This is a question that is fair to ask because the bottom line is we all want what’s best for our parents and loved ones as they age. They are amazing human beings who, despite the way the world sometimes discards this vulnerable demographic, are still looking to live their best lives. They are still who they are and who they always have been, so can they continue being their best selves in a senior living or assisted living community?
At StoneBridge Senior Living Community, we say ‘yes’!
We are committed to creating the best environment for your loved ones and other older adults, even in the midst of a pandemic. This includes taking personal care of our assisted living residents on three very distinct levels: emotionally, socially, and physically.
Emotional Support Through Assisted Living
Moving into an assisted living community takes some adjustments, but the great thing about being an assisted living resident is that you aren’t alone.
Aside from the staff members and care providers, there are other assisted living and senior living residents who are there with you or your loved one. Many seniors are experiencing the same types of things and older adults can be a friend within the assisted living facility. This is a big deal and a benefit that shouldn’t be overlooked when considering long-term care for your loved one.
Social Support Through Assisted Living
A huge piece of long-term care that people often feel their loved one may miss out on as an assisted living resident is socialization.
Our safety precautions and health guidelines that we have adhered to for the past year have allowed our staff members to maintain a level of social activity and interactions that our assisted living communities take pride in.
We are able to continue opportunities for indoor exercise, dining, lifelong learning, and many other activities that would allow residents of our senior living and assisted living communities to pursue their hobbies and interests with joy and fulfillment.
Seniors would still be able to enjoy the company of other assisted living residents on a daily basis if they choose.
StoneBridge provides a variety of social services daily activities no matter what level of care you may be under. We pride ourselves on offering our residents at our assisted living communities a quality of life that helps them maintain their integrity and all-around well-being.
Physical Support Through Assisted Living
We offer varying levels of senior care to our assisted living residents that range from memory care to being able to maintain full independent living.
As a caregiver, you have options with us. One of the benefits of selecting an assisted living community like StoneBridge, as opposed to other assisted living facilities, is that we provide you with skilled care, expert memory care, or assisted living services that are the best fit for the personal needs of your loved one. Our professional staff members provide residents with everything from skilled nursing care to more generalized senior care services, including helping with activities of daily living.
How To Determine If Your Senior Loved One Needs Assisted Living Care
Caring for an aging senior or family member comes with specific challenges that we’re often not prepared to deal with as adult caregivers.
It becomes particularly challenging if it requires our full-time attention and care, often requiring us to aid in their personal care routine including help with bathing or help with activities like cooking, cleaning, and medication management.
At the same time, we don’t want to rush into a major decision if your family member isn’t quite ready or doesn’t necessarily need full-time assisted living care.
So, now the big question remains:
How do you know your loved one needs assisted living?
When are they ready to make the move into an assisted living facility?
The hard part is that there is not a definitive answer because each person is different, but we’ve put together a simple guide that may help you with this important decision.
If Your Loved One Develops a Behavioral Issue, it May be Time to Consider Assisted Living
Some seniors may get to the point where they develop aggressive tendencies whether verbally or physically, and it may be completely out of character for them.
They could possibly have dementia, which could cause some erratic behavior, but it’s hard to truly know what’s going on or take care of without help from professionals. An assisted living facility may be something that’s necessary.
If Your Loved One Goes Into Withdraw and Doesn’t Talk to You About Their Health, it May be Time to Consider Assisted Living
No one ever wants to feel like they can’t take care of their parents as they age, or take care of themselves if that’s the case, but unfortunately, this is part of adulthood as life moves on.
Pride certainly can become an issue when seniors get to the point where they can’t take care of themselves or they physically begin digressing.
If they won’t willingly talk about their health, personal care, activities of daily living, medication management, and how they’re doing, or if they become defensive if it’s brought up, then it could be time to start thinking about future plans.
Will assisted living be a part of their future? Only you and your loved one can figure that out.
If Your Loved One’s Physical Health Drastically Declines, it May be Time to Consider Looking into Assisted Living Communities
Getting to the age where we are adults and lead our lives with families and having a career then caring for loved ones, if necessary, can become a challenge.
This is especially true if your loved one’s physical health rapidly declines and activities of daily living become a challenge. Maybe they can’t get around by themselves, household chores aren’t being taken care of, they need help with activities, or there’s a serious risk of falling and injury.
Maybe they have a difficult time bathing alone and need assistance. Even if the want-to is there, sometimes it’s just not feasible to provide that level of care for our loved ones.
Sometimes assisted living is the necessary next step in what’s best for everyone and their quality of life.
Choosing the Right Assisted Living Community
After reading and research and much deliberation, if you’ve decided that an assisted living community is the best next step for you and your family member, then we want to help make it easier on you.
The options could seem overwhelming, but we know you want what’s best for you or your family. With that in mind, we’ve carefully put together five steps to help you make one of the most important decisions you can make.
Selecting an assisted living home shouldn’t be taken lightly and we’re here to offer up a little guidance.
1. Cost of Assisted Living: Does it Fit the Budget?
Unfortunately, money dictates what most of us must choose in this world, so it’s important to know what you can afford and what you can’t. It’s also important to know if the assisted living cost can be covered under your specific insurance and if so, how much is covered?
These are questions that need to be answered when considering assisted living in any capacity and it’s a necessary starting point.
2. Is it Close to Family?
Due to the pandemic, many family members haven’t been able to give their loved ones a hug who have been living inside of assisted living communities.
Most haven’t even been allowed to visit, but with well over 90% of our assisted living communities at StoneBridge having had the vaccine plus our vigilant safety protocols, we are now allowing social distanced family visits for family members.
Being close to your family is a big deal and it could be detrimental to their emotional and mental health if they don’t get to see family often. Choosing an assisted living facility near you could be the best decision you make.
3. Does it Best Fit My Needs?
Seniors may require a variety of services upon moving into an assisted living or residential care facility, so making sure the assisted living facility you choose has everything you need is important.
Memory care and cognitive therapy are specialized services, and seniors who need these options would be lost without them. Considering the different levels of care that are possible within a nursing facility or assisted living facility is critical to your loved ones’ well-being.
Being able to fluently move between levels of care as they need is worth everything. Do they need more daily activities to keep them busy?
Would spending time in the dining room with others brighten their day?
Whatever the reasons, whether that be nursing home/full-time care with our skilled nursing staff members or maintaining more independence, at StoneBridge we offer it all.
4. Does it Have a Good Reputation?
Unfortunately, not all assisted living communities are run and managed the same way as they should be. Do your due diligence and do your research. Ask around. Word of mouth is powerful and although one person’s experience may not be another, you’re looking for consistency.
If you’re wondering if they have high-quality nursing care, read reviews and get recommendations. These steps are important and ultimately will give you some peace of mind when you finally choose an assisted living facility.
5. Have You Taken a Tour (even if it’s virtual)?
If you can’t see yourself or loved one living in a particular assisted living facility, then it’s probably not a wise decision.
Picturing the social aspect with other residents and getting a feel for what activities they have available is part of living every single day. The facility itself is what will be home to you or your loved ones, so being comfortable with the environment and the vibe is important.
In Conclusion
Making the decision to move yourself or your loved into an assisted living facility isn’t a light one, but taking the time to weigh your options is necessary and recommended. We hope you’ll find our information helpful to you as you navigate these critical decisions and explore assisted living communities.
Feel free to contact us and a StoneBridge Senior Living advisor will be happy to answer any questions you may have about assisted living.