Are you ready to move somewhere where you have more help? Do your parents require more assistance or care than you can provide? Assisted living facilities offer people a place to receive personal and medical attention with full-time care. But which home is right? Much like shopping for houses, it’s about finding the best fit. With that in mind, be sure to do the following four things when you check out an establishment.
1.Look at the Safety Features
Because most people looking at assisted living communities Denver are getting older, they also require additional help in getting around or preventing injuries. Be sure that the venue has integrated several devices or protocols to minimize falls. Do the showers and restrooms have handles for balance and sturdiness? Are hallways easy to navigate? Even examine the exterior to see if paths seem clear and even.
2. Dine in the Hall
Meals are typically included within the contract. Like a kid in a cafeteria, you want to be sure you like what you are going to eat. Sit and have dinner or lunch, checking out the variety offered, the nutrition it provides and if you’d want to have it again.
3. Participate in a Social Activity
The facility is a place to bring people together. Living alone may be too quiet and sad for many. But in an assisted living group, you could find friends and socialize often. Join in to something going on for the day. Ask to see the amenity schedule.
4. Talk with Staff
You are leaving your home, but you still deserve your say. Be sure the employees treat you as an individual owner and not as a patient. As you go through the grounds, see how people interact. Consider how others speak with each other.
Be methodical in your decision-making. This step is critical; after all, you choose where you want to spend your later years. Think about what the place offers in terms of care, safety and entertainment.Assisted living facilities are the best option for spending their retirement years – they provide secure arrangement and instant access to care. Two recent studies on the subject of sleep and suicide, however, in senior housing have caused much concern over what is actually happening in some of these facilities.
One study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, looked at 121 seniors in an assisted living facility in the Los Angeles area. In the study, 65 percent of seniors had a significant sleep disorder, and these sleep problems led to a greater need for help, as well as depression.
