If your parent is beginning to struggle with the activities of daily living, your family may be considering the options that assisted living can offer when compared to life at home.
Here are a few elements you’ll want to evaluate when taking into account your loved one’s ability to:
- Bathe and dress
- Groom and provide oral care
- Shop and prepare healthy meals
- Access and participate in physical and cognitive activities
- Complete laundry and housekeeping
- Socially interact and make new friends
- Drive or access alternative transportation
- Remain safe and secure
Assisted living benefits
There are many advantages you’ll find at an assisted living community. When you compare the needs of your parent and the services that are offered there, you may find their quality of life could also greatly improve. Consider these features and the specific circumstances of your loved one:
1. Safety and security
The priority is your parents’ safety and security and you’ll want to consider where the best environment for them is.
Most homes were not built with aging in mind so it’s common to navigate steps and stairs, narrow doors and hallways and kitchen cabinets that can become inaccessible. If your parent is becoming less mobile but more prone to losing balance, falling may also be a concern.
What assisted living offers: Here, you’ll find the best of both worlds. Residents have their independence and the privacy of their own home but the security in knowing that there is always help nearby.
2. Bathing, dressing and grooming
Residents of assisted living still continue to live an independent life and make their own choices. But they may need a little help when it comes to some of the activities of daily living, such as:
- Bathing or showering, grooming and oral care
- Choosing appropriate clothing, dressing and undressing
- Shopping, preparing and eating food
- Mobility
- Laundry and maintaining a clean residence
- Managing their medications properly
- Managing their personal finances
What assisted living offers: These communities are designed to provide assistance for the daily tasks. Your loved one, with help, will still be able to live an independent life. It is also comforting to most residents and their families to know they are never alone in case they need help.
3. Ability to shop and prepare healthy meals
A good diet is the foundation of healthy living and aging well but it can be more difficult to achieve when we grow older.
Many older adults find it harder to shop, plan meals, cook and then clean up after. It may seem overwhelming and the temptation may grow to snack, eat processed foods or skip the meal altogether.
What assisted living offers: The work of cooking is left behind once an assisted living community becomes home. In fact, all your loved one will be responsible for is choosing delicious items off of the chef-prepared menu. They won’t have to read ingredient lists or worry about special dietary needs because those are handled as well.
4. Access to physical and cognitive activities
Another key to aging well is keeping physically and cognitively fit. But is your loved one able to accomplish that at home? Most people don’t have exercise equipment or classes nearby and would need to drive to a gym, which can pose another obstacle.
What assisted living offers: All your parent will need to do is walk out their front door. Fitness centers are typically included on-site and offer instruction or classes in yoga or meditation as well. It couldn’t be easier to get into good physical health. Socialization and events also keep the residents’ minds in top shape as well.
5.Laundry, housekeeping and maintenance-free lifestyle
Your loved one may be finding it more challenging to keep up with the laundry and the daily chores of housekeeping. If a homeowner, the continuing repairs, maintenance and general upkeep can become overwhelming.
What assisted living offers: Most communities offer laundry and light housekeeping services. And your loved one won’t have to worry about any maintenance, inside or out. Instead, those hours will now be free for enjoyable activities. Never again will they need to spend time searching for a plumber or someone to mow the grass. It’s all taken care of.
6. Social interaction and making new friends
An unfortunate part of growing older is that it may be easier to become isolated if living alone. Not only can this contribute to feelings of loneliness and despair, it has also been shown to have a detrimental effect on health.
What assisted living offers: Considered by many to be one of the top benefits, your loved one will almost be guaranteed to make new friends. Communities offer so many activities and social events that new residents will naturally meet their neighbors. With so much in common, developing life-long friendships seem easy.
7. Transportation
Driving is one activity that many people will eventually give up, either out of necessity or because they’re no longer comfortable or willing to fight traffic and search for parking. But if this stops your parents from attending other events or meeting with friends, it can be detrimental to their health.
What assisted living offers: Another great benefit is that they are designed to provide almost all services and amenities within the community. So your loved one is just a few steps away from an activity or social event. For off-site events, shopping or medical appointments, scheduled transportation is offered. Your parent can hang up the keys but never miss a thing.
Ingleside at King Farm Assisted Living
Whether your parents are struggling with the basic daily activities, are becoming concerned with living alone or are worried about their safety and security, assisted living is often the right answer. With the opportunities to stay healthy, make new friends and have fun, it’s little surprise that quality of life also improves.
At Ingleside at King Farm Assisted Living, we believe in a whole-person approach and our well-being philosophy ensures everyone is treated with the respect that allows independence and choice. All of our staff members are trained to compassionately engage with our residents, assisting them when needed and supporting them to age well always.
If your family is considering assisted living, we invite you to download our free resource, Just the Facts: Your Guide to Assisted Living.
Please visit our website or call (240) 414-8557 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a personalized tour today.