Independence is one of the most valuable assets a person has. We spend our childhood years learning to do things on our own, and the rest of our adulthood wishing we had less responsibility. However, seniors who require help with everyday activities, wish for the days when they were a young independent adult with limitless freedom. Assisted living communities provide additional care to the elderly while giving them a sense of self-reliance they may have lost while being at home alone.
There are a few key benefits to take into consideration if you’ve thought about an upcoming move to an assisted living community for your elderly family member.
1. Assisted Living Communities Provide Added Safety
For seniors who have limited mobility (The Benefits 2017), they may require help with day to day tasks, as simple as getting out of bed, getting dressed, or preparing their meals. It can become dangerous for them to live alone. Especially when they don’t think they need help and overextend themselves, putting themselves in harm’s way. Many families aren’t able to check in with their senior loved ones multiple times a day, and most can’t afford to hire 24/7 care.
Moving your loved one to an assisted living will provide them a sense of safety that can’t be duplicated if they lived at home. Help is always right down the hall, and they’ll be checked in on multiple times throughout the day by assisted living staff. If anything does go wrong, help will quickly be on the way.
2. Lessen The Burden On Family Members
Many grown children take on the role of the full-time caregiver for their parents when they’re no longer able to take care of themselves. This makes it challenging to maintain a healthy parent, child relationship. It can also take an emotional toll on the family members’ responsible for providing care, which can quickly become an overwhelming burden, especially when they have their own young families to tend to.
Eliminate the guilt and pain with an understanding that you need to do what is best for your entire family. Moving your elderly loved one to an assisted living will remove the burden of you single-handedly providing full-time care for them. This will make it easier to continue a loving and beneficial relationship without the daily strains of being solely responsible for their well being.
3. Create Connections With Other Residents
One of the primary benefits of assisted living facilities is giving seniors the ability to interact with others their age. The majority of seniors living at home spend most days inside, all alone—especially when their spouse has passed away or they don’t have family nearby. An assisted living gives them daily interaction with the other residents, visiting families, and staff. Giving them ample opportunities to interact, socialize, and participate in regular group activities. To help them feel a part of a community again.
4. Healthy Homemade Meals
Assisted livings provide healthy, nutritious meals for their residents at least three times a day. You’ll find peace in knowing that your loved one is eating well to keep them strong and healthy. The staff keeps track of their resident’s eating habits, allowing you to address any questions from their dr. quickly about their daily nutrition.
5. Help With Daily Hygiene
When your loved one lives alone and isn’t able to get dressed or shower on their own, their hygiene will suffer. Assisted living facilities to provide them with daily assistance (Home Care 2020) to shower, wash their hair, get dressed, and other daily hygiene activities. To help them feel at their very best. Seniors’ daily routines shouldn’t be neglected just because they can’t manage on their own.
6. Assisted Living Gives You Peace Of Mind
When you go home at night, you will feel reassured that your loved one is being watched over. If something were to happen, they have loving staff members close by to help. This makes it easier for you to live your own life while still feeling like you’re doing your part to care for your elderly family member. When you visit, you’re able to spend time reminiscing or catching up on the latest family updates, instead of only focusing on their daily care.
Don’t Question Your Good Intentions
Without a doubt, it’s an emotionally painful process to make the decision to put a loved one in an assisted living. At first, they may feel abandoned or at a loss of their independence, leaving you with a flood of guilt and confusion. However, with time they will learn to appreciate that you are looking out for their best interest and will enjoy this new chapter in their life because of your undeniable love for them.