What to Look for When Visiting an Elder in Senior Housing
So, you and your loved one have taken the plunge. You’ve put in the time and effort to research senior housing options, take tours and compare your thoughts. The big move is finally behind you both. You might think the hard work is over, but not so fast. Caregiving doesn’t end once a senior has transitioned to a long-term care facility. Now it’s up to you to be their advocate, visit regularly and follow up to determine if this particular senior living facility lives up to your expectations.
You had an idea of what to look for in senior housing when you started this process, and most of those things still apply. However, now that your loved one resides there, your exposure to the community and staff isn’t as limited as it was when you had to go on carefully guided tours as prospective clients. It’s important to continue monitoring a loved one’s care after the move to ensure they’re comfortable, content, and well cared for.
A Caregiver’s Tip for Gauging Care Quality in Senior Living
Over the course of two decades, I visited loved ones in senior housing nearly every day. While my visits were focused on spending time with my elders and attending to their needs, it was natural for me to assess how well the nursing home was functioning and whether the staff was meeting my elders’ immediate needs.
We all use slightly different criteria when we evaluate an elder care provider’s appearance and performance. For senior housing, my personal top priority happens to be assessing what I would call the atmosphere. The atmosphere I’m referring to has little to do with decor, although clean, pleasant surroundings are desirable in a senior living setting. I’m more interested in getting a feel for the overall vibe of the facility.
Have you ever entered someone’s home and felt good things about it, even if it’s cluttered or decorated in a way that doesn’t jive with your personal tastes? In some cases, a home can have an aura of happiness or lightness…
Continue reading on Agingcare for more about how to choose the best senior house that you can:
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/what-to-look-for-senior-housing-151724.htm
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July 8
Encouraging Parents to Socialize After the Move to Senior Living
Moving to senior living is often a difficult transition for aging loved ones. Even elders who are on board with the decision to relocate to an independent living community, assisted living community, memory care community or skilled nursing facility are likely to encounter some obstacles when trying to become more familiar with their new living environment and neighbors. The whole experience can be overwhelming, and many seniors initially react by withdrawing into their new room or apartment instead of making friends and joining in activities.
This can be frustrating and heartbreaking for family caregivers who are looking on from the outside, wishing their parents would take advantage of all the opportunities a new home has to offer. This transition often takes time, but there are some ways to encourage a loved one to socialize and get involved.
A Caregiver’s Experience Encouraging Parents to Socialize in Senior Living
For most of my parents’ marriage, Mom was a social butterfly, while Dad was quieter and more introverted. He was capable of handling social situations but attended group events mainly to please Mom. Then, overnight, our family’s world turned upside down. Dad needed surgery to correct the effects of an old brain injury he’d incurred in World War II.
The procedure backfired, and he came out of the operating room with full-blown dementia. His current living situation was no longer appropriate, so he moved into a nursing home nearby. Three years later, Mom’s own health problems worsened…
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
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