There comes time in the lives of some seniors when they need help with activities that they do every day. Most seniors want to retain as much of their independence as possible but may realize that they also require help. Assisted living facilities provide this perfect combination. Eating, bathing, laundry, dressing, grooming, housekeeping, and monitoring medications are just some of the basic services that these facilities will provide.

These facilities differ from private care in the way that private care is usually done one-on-one in the senior’s home. Assisted Living Facilities are generally set up much like an apartment building, with each senior having their own private unit although the units are usually smaller than apartment units. There will also be a kitchen area on each floor and a nurse’s station where senior’s aids, nurses, and directors will be able to go about their work in helping seniors. Facilities can accommodate as little as twenty-five patients or as many as four hundred!

There are also many communal areas where the residents can play games, watch television, read in a library, and contemporary facilities are even including computer areas. Social activities for the seniors are often planned and these can include anything from shopping outings, potlucks, crafts, dances, seminars, workshops, and much more. These socials are planned so that the residents may have opportunities to mingle with each other and just have some fun. In addition to planning group activities, each resident also has their own care plan that is based on their specific needs. This plan will be drafted before the resident moves into the assisted living facility and will be continually modified as the needs of the patient change.

A Health Care Director will be in charge of individual patient’s health needs. This may include the medications they’re currently taking, what the dosage is and how often it needs to be taken as well as their personal hygiene needs, mental awareness, and family contacts. It is also the Health Care Director that will phone the family should there be any concerns or a serious decline in health. The Director will also contact any outside help needed such as hospitals, medical centers, or the resident’s doctor.

Many people are hesitant to place a loved one, or live in an assisted living facility. They are not the dark, gloomy places that are too often imagined. They are places where a senior can live a full life while receiving basic help with some daily activities. They are a place where seniors can make friends and maintain an active lifestyle.

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