Why Choose Residential Assisted Living? Benefits for Seniors and Family Caregivers
What Is Residential Assisted Living?
In residential assisted living, seniors live in a close-knit community where they have access to 24/7 support with activities of daily living and personal care. While some senior care communities may have on-site registered nurses or specialize in a certain area (like memory care), residential assisted living doesn’t typically include nursing.
Seniors in residential assisted living communities in Colorado Springs may have a private or shared room, as well as access to communal living areas, dining spaces and outdoor grounds. Residents are free to live life as they please, making use of convenient on-site amenities and attending groups, classes and activities if they wish.
Who Should Choose Residential Assisted Living?
As nursing care is not typically included in residential assisted living, this type of care is best suited to seniors who are struggling to carry out day-to-day activities, but do not have any significant health conditions requiring daily nursing.
For example, if an aging senior is experiencing a decline in mobility that has left them struggling to bathe, get dressed or move around independently, residential assisted living could be the ideal solution. Similarly, a senior who is experiencing frequent falls may also benefit from the 24/7 elder care residential assisted living can offer.
Why Choose Residential Assisted living?
Residential assisted living boasts a whole host of great benefits for seniors who struggle with the demands of daily living. Seniors can benefit from enhanced safety and security, 24/7 personalized care and a full calendar of events, activities, groups and social occasions.
Tailored Care
Seniors in residential assisted living have access to around the clock care, tailored to the unique needs defined in their care plan. Accepting support with personal care tasks like using the bathroom can be a difficult prospect for seniors, but residential assisted living caregivers are trained in providing compassionate, empowering care. Day and night, residents have all the support they need on hand to stay comfortable, happy and healthy.
Residents can receive support with activities like:
- Transferring in and out of bed
- Using the toilet
- Brushing their teeth
- Bathing or showering
- Grooming (e.g., shaving, hair styling, makeup application)
- Moving from place to place
- Eating and drinking
Nutrition and Hydration
Staying adequately nourished and hydrated is a common challenge for seniors, and it’s one residential assisted living can help with. In senior care, residents are able to access freshly prepared and nutritious food each day. Meals are prepared by professional chefs and served in a communal dining area, so seniors are able to enjoy social mealtimes with friends.
Elder care communities also understand the importance of fluid intake for seniors. They strive to ensure residents are well hydrated at all times, offering beverages like water, milk, juice and tea throughout the day.
Safety and Security
One of the key benefits of residential assisted living is the enhanced safety provisions these communities offer. Living in their own home can pose a whole host of risks for seniors – particularly for those with reduced mobility. Things like stairs, uneven surfaces and tripping hazards can put seniors at a higher risk of falls and accidents.
Elder care facilities are designed with the needs of aging seniors in mind. Featuring everything from accessible bathrooms and ground floor amenities, to 24/7 access to caregivers and secure locked entrances, residents can feel safe, secure and supported.
Social Interaction
Social isolation can be a real issue for aging seniors who still live at home. When family caregivers are limited by responsibilities from work, childcare and their own personal life, seniors may be left alone for longer than they or their family would like. If a senior has experienced the loss of their spouse, siblings or friends, feelings of loneliness may be amplified further.
In residential assisted living, seniors can access all the companionship they desire. With communal living areas and outdoor spaces, residents are free to meet with friends for a game of dominoes or a cup of coffee and snack. Equally as importantly, residents have their own personal space to retreat to for quiet time as and when they desire.
Activities and Amenities
Issues like reduced mobility and social isolation may also lead to boredom and lack of stimulation. Residential assisted living facilities will usually have a calendar of activities and special events on offer for residents and their families to enjoy throughout the year.
Senior care facilities often also host a range of classes and groups for residents to enjoy on a regular basis. This may include activities like gardening, cooking, arts and crafts, pet therapy, physical exercise classes or spiritual groups.
Some residential elder care communities have useful amenities like shops and salons on-site, too. This way, residents are able to live as independently as possible within an environment that supports their needs.
How Can Residential Assisted Living Help Families?
The advantages of residential assisted living go well beyond the benefits to senior residents. Family caregivers are often greatly impacted by an aging relative’s needs, and having the right senior care in place can grant them the peace of mind they need.
When the demands of senior care are becoming too much to cope with alone, residential assisted living can relieve the burden of being solely responsible for a loved one’s health and wellbeing. A move to residential elder care can allow family members to once again truly enjoy quality time with their beloved parent or relative.
Arrange a tour today to discover how we can support your senior loved one’s health and wellbeing going forward.