If you or a parent needs help with a few of the basic tasks of daily life, you may be considering all the available options. Two of those might be – to remain at home and rely on family members or friends to provide more help, or to bring in an outside home care service company.
But for many families, the best alternative to getting the help that’s needed might be assisted living. For all of the additional benefits you will find, there is one element that won’t be missing – and that is any loss of independence.
Assisted living benefits
If you’re not familiar with all the services and benefits of assisted living, the following summary may help:
1. You’ll live in your own private residence
The benefit of having your own maintenance-free residence is the first advantage of many if you move into an assisted living community. Most people want to live in their own home. Knowing that you’ll have total freedom to make your own decisions and choices is the foundation for your independence in assisted living.
2. You’ll have access to a helping hand
Assisted living is just that – assisted. Residents can continue to live an independent life and decide how they want to spend their days.
But it’s common as we grow older to begin to need a little help with some of the basic daily tasks and assistance is available whenever it’s needed. Among others, this could include bathing, dressing, grooming, preparing meals or managing medication.
3. You’ll have your choice of healthy meals
It can become more of a challenge, or at least harder to get motivated, when it comes to planning and preparing meals. Unfortunately, the temptation instead may be to snack or skip the meal altogether. But in assisted living, you can leave the cooking to someone else. You’ll enjoy delicious food from the many menu choices, and the cleanup is taken care of as well.
4. You’ll find ways to stay physically and emotionally healthy
It’s easy to stay fit when you live in an assisted living community. Most will have an on-site fitness center and other activities that will get you moving.
And you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of keeping your mind healthy as well, by joining in with others to play stimulating brain games, learn a new skill or have great and thought-provoking conversations.
5. You’ll love making friends and staying socially active
Residents are practically guaranteed to make new friends and enjoy social interactions when they make assisted living their home.
There are so many activities that create a natural setting to meet your neighbors and make new friends. The communities also plan social events that make it easier to get to know each other. You may be surprised at how much you have in common.
Assisted living can help you maintain independence
Even with all of the above benefits, one of the bigger advantages for most residents is that they are supported to maintain their independence.
The following are just a few examples of how assisted living might actually help in this area:
1. You can rely on yourself but know that help is there
People want to be in control of their lives and make their own decisions. But it’s also a relief to know that there is help whenever it’s needed. Many older adults appreciate not having to ask their family or neighbors for help and feel more independent with the process that assisted living provides.
2. Your children can remain your children, not your caregivers
Most older adults appreciate the independence they have taking care of themselves. When they need help, they typically don’t want to burden their children, even if their children are happy to assist. Parents often prefer keeping their relationship status with their children as it is and not have them become their caregivers.
3. You’ll have privacy or people – whenever you choose
Another boost to your independence is deciding what you’re in the mood for – a quiet day at home or getting together with friends. While social interaction is important for our physical and emotional health, we also need a little alone time to recharge our batteries. At an assisted living community, you have both.
4. You’ll still make your own decisions
No one will come knocking on your door when it’s time for an activity unless you ask them to. It’s up to you if you’ll be at the center of social interaction, stay home to read a good book, take an exercise class or will meet your new friends for lunch or dinner. Just like you do now, how you spend your time is your decision.
5. You’re in control of your health
In assisted living, you’ll find what you need to stay physically and cognitively healthy, right outside of your front door. You may join a Yoga group, attend an educational lecture, play brain games or a rousing pickleball match. Or you may commit to eating healthy and getting plenty of rest. You decide the lifestyle that you’re going to live.
Ingleside at Rock Creek Assisted Living
If your loved one needs help with the activities of daily life, assisted living can be the perfect answer. And if there are worries about losing independence, it’s nice to know that most residents find they are actually able to remain independent even longer.
At Ingleside at Rock Creek Assisted Living, we help our residents with dressing, bathing and grooming, medication management and meals, to only name a few. We also provide scheduled transportation, private residences, fun social opportunities and the ease of meeting and making new friends with many activities and events.
But our residents appreciate that one of our primary goals is to help them maintain their independence.
If you’d like more information about assisted living, please download our complimentary guide Just the Facts: Your Guide to Assisted Living. Call (202) 846-2651 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a personalized tour today.