Studies show that about 2.5 million senior citizens live in assisted living and nursing communities. If you're looking to join a senior living arrangement, it's important to understand how to pick the right senior community.
Above all else, you should know how to find a safe and reliable senior care center. Knowing what you're searching for will make it significantly easier to arrange senior living agreements and ensure you and your loved ones are receiving the right care.
If you're curious about elderly care, we're here to help. Read on for a few tips on what you should look for when setting up senior living agreements.
It's a sad reality that one of the first things you need to consider is the financial viability of any senior community. These communities are rarely inexpensive, and many of us will be limited by what we can afford.
Many factors impact the cost of your assisted living center. These may include its location, size, what services the center offers, and more. The prestige of a community's name can also have a large impact on its costs.
Your first step should be to make a budget of what you can afford. Consider any income you may have, such as retirement funds or pension. If you find a senior community that's out of your budget, you may find yourself needing to move before long.
Another important step is to look into the safety measures and restrictions that an assisted living community has in place. Studies show that about 36 million falls are reported among seniors and older adults each year. These falls result in about 3 million emergency room visits and 32,000 deaths.
Falls are far from the only threat that seniors face. A senior living community needs to consider the many threats to a senior's well-being and work to address them.
Speak to the members of the community and the staff. Talk about safety in the community and ask how the staff responds to an injured community member. Understanding safety will help you know if you're safe to live how you want in your new senior community.
Similar to the safety that a community offers is the expertise of its staff. Staff in a senior community are more than simple waiters and clerks.
The staff in your new elderly care community need to be expert attendants who are comfortable working with and for their community. If they're unfamiliar with the tasks they'll need to do and what emergencies may arise, you may not feel safe or properly cared for.
A great way to check the staff is to speak to other community members. Ask where the staff is knowledgeable and where the staff may need a bit more training. While you can speak to managers or staff members, you may not always get the most honest answer out of them.
Another step is to see what sorts of personnel they have on board. Some communities may have medical experts who work for the community that can aid in any medical applications. Others may have services that require them to have other trained experts.
Consider what expertise is most important to you before you begin searching. Doing so can make sure the staff isn't lacking an important quality before you move in.
One thing closely tied to the expertise of staff is to know what sorts of services the community offers. These can range from amenities to senior health benefits.
A common example is a community with exercise clubs. These will include senior-appropriate exercises that help people stay fit without dominating their schedules.
Another option may be what sorts of food the community offers. Some may offer a "mess hall" type cafeteria that serves healthy, wholesome food to the residents. Others may offer training courses which can help seniors learn how to safely cook on their own.
One of our greatest services is our assistance in medication management. Our trained staff are excellent for helping you keep track of your medicine when to take it, and when it's time to speak to your doctor about a refill to your prescription.
Another crucial factor is what the living arrangements will be. You should know what the room you'll have in your new senior community will look like.
Most apartments in these communities are plush and comfortable, but small. Some will include amenities like a kitchenette or kitchen for preparing your meals. Others may not include such a thing out of a safety concern.
You should also know what sort of safety measures are in place in each room. Understand handicapped accessibility and other features that you may find in the rooms. Doing so can make sure you aren't missing critical features in your new senior care community.
Finally, another important factor is the location of the community. You should find a community that's in the right spot for family and loved ones to visit.
Loneliness is a detriment to the health of a senior citizen. Social isolation can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, cognitive decline, and more.
Seniors placed in an assisted living center that's close enough for the family to visit can alleviate these issues. They'll also make it easier for the family to visit without needing to plan an entire day around it.
Do your best to find a center that's near enough to loved ones. Doing so will not only make things more convenient, but it will also place the senior in a more familiar community.
When researching senior living agreements, you should have a list of the most important qualities for you and your loved ones. Focus on finding an affordable community that's near your family so you can enjoy visits. You should also look into safety, staff, the active community, and more.
At Watermark, we focus on giving the best living community in Woodbury. Our beautiful apartments offer housekeeping, spacious showers and closets, kitchenettes, emergency alert systems, and more. Contact us to see how we can help you enjoy your retirement in New Jersey.