When families realize their senior loved one needs more help than they can provide, assisted living is the perfect solution. Even though many seniors may oppose the idea at first, there are many ways to show them why moving to assisted living could be their best move ever.
#1 Support for independence
Living at home is often presumed to be the most independent lifestyle but over the long term, independence can degrade. Needing help with activities of daily living as well as cooking, cleaning, and home maintenance can all add up to a life that isn’t so independent, after all.
Assisted living makes independence a priority by providing all the care and assistance seniors need to embrace independence every day. As noted in our blog, “Is assisted living the best option for your loved one?,” not only is care provided when needed, but it’s always available when a senior’s status changes.
#2 An engaging lifestyle
Being a caregiver can make it hard to spend quality one-on-one time with a loved one because they have so many other responsibilities. This can lead to loneliness and isolation for seniors who can no longer drive, have mobility issues, or have other limitations. Sadly, this situation can result in a variety of health problems like heart disease, dementia, depression, and other repercussions described in our blog, “How Assisted Living Improves Quality of Life.”
The beauty of assisted living, however, is that it’s a community of friends. Together residents can reap the benefits of an engaging and fulfilling lifestyle designed to accommodate everyone, regardless of physical limitations. Making new friends, enjoying group classes and outings, and just being an active member of the community can go a long way toward a life built on happiness rather than loneliness.
#3 Constant safety and security
It’s not unusual for families to be concerned about their senior’s safety and security at home and the facts warrant that concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one in four adults aged 65 or older fall every year, resulting in 9 million fall injuries annually and an increasing number of fall-related deaths. Surprisingly, however, according to the usfa.fema.gov article, “Older Adult Fire Death Risk,” fire is the “greatest relative risk of dying” for older adults and is 2.6 times greater than that of the general population.
Top assisted living communities are designed and built to address many risks to the safety and security of residents. From accessibility to 24/7/365 security systems to fire suppression to constant care and oversight, every base is covered so families can rest assured their loved one is safe and sound.
#4 Nutritional excellence
According to the ncoa.gov article, “5 Malnutrition Facts You Probably Didn't Know,” older adults are at particular risk for malnutrition because of changing nutritional needs, decreased appetite, and problems shopping and cooking. At the same time, one of the greatest challenges for many family caregivers is to provide healthy meals three times every day.
At luxury assisted living communities like The Birches, nutrition is prioritized. Not only are meals made with fresh, wholesome ingredients, we craft them to be delicious while meeting the special dietary needs of seniors. In addition, our Culinary Services team invites our members to participate in menu planning and always welcomes their requests and suggestions.
#5 On-site services
The kinds of help seniors want or need can exceed the resources of family caregivers. From getting mental, physical, or spiritual support to a simple haircut, many seniors would rather do without, than bother their families.
At The Birches we get it, so we bring a variety of services and providers on-site so our members can easily access help when they want it. Whether it’s a hairstyle and manicure, a visit with a psychologist or chaplain, or help from an audiologist, dentist, podiatrist, or other medical professionals we make it happen so our members and their families don’t have to. Learn more in our blog, “What you can expect in the best assisted living communities.”
#6 The Montessori difference
When assisted living becomes a necessity, families often worry their loved will be lost in the shuffle. At The Birches, the only certified Montessori Inspired Lifestyle community in Illinois, our overriding goal is to make sure every member retains their autonomy, lives their best life, and has the freedom to make choices for themselves. From our apartments to our programming to our hands-on care, our members’ well-being is central to everything we do, every hour of every day.
To find out more about assisted living at The Birches, download our “Just the Facts: Assisted Living” guide and contact us to schedule a tour.
