Putting a loved one into an assisted living facility can be a very difficult decision. Oftentimes, the events leading up to the decision can be accompanied by tremendous difficulty, stress, anxiety, and other hardships that are unique to the individual, their family, friends, and support system. In many ways, it may seem that in doing so, you are taking away freedoms and independence from a person.
Measuring the quality of life in individuals can be an extremely time consuming task that requires a lot of resources. Life experiences and current conditions of each individual, along with many other factors can play a part in their attitude towards their current situation. But something that is important to bring light to is opportunity. It is not always the case where a person who is in need of assisted living has someone to help them at a moment’s notice. Tasks such as bathing, toileting, managing medication, social interaction, exercise, nutrition, can all be a challenging responsibility to keep up with consistently and properly.
Social Opportunities
Choosing an assisted living facility is a great way to provide opportunity. In assisted living facilities, days are often structured around care and community. An extremely important benefit of assisted living facilities is the social aspect. As we age, our social circles tend to shrink. This coupled with difficulties with mobility can cause people to be limited and confined with who they are able to get out and socialize with. At an assisted living facility, there are planned social activities with the other residents who are all brought together as a caring community. This is facilitated by young, able-bodied individuals who are professionals in this industry. When you have ECC Licensed assisted living facilities, the level of care increases even more. When the staff and residents are all in a mindset of community and support, it helps reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Feelings which can be massively troubling for individuals mental and overall health.
Physical Activity
An added benefit of assisted living is the frequent opportunities for physical activity. Exercise and movement are an extremely important aspect of our lives. At an older age, this can be more of a difficult task to take on and guidance is important. Whether your loved one decides to attend an aerobics class or go on a walk, professionals will be readily available for assistance.
Medication Management
Another extremely important benefit of assisted living is medication management. In some cases, unfortunately, this becomes an increasingly difficult thing to take on as an individual. Some residents may have difficulty and struggles with memory, making it potentially dangerous to have them try to take medication on their own. Having professionals administer medication at the proper times helps keep medication dosages at the prescribed amounts in check.
At Palm Cottages, we subscribe to the idea of going above and beyond in enhancing individuals’ quality of life. We have even integrated this mindset back when our facilities were being built. By creating cottage-style housing, we give our residents the space they need, in uniquely designed housing. In a thoroughly conducted study, quality of life was measured throughout several assisted living facilities and at the end of the study, one of the recommendations in the conclusion was that facilities should build smaller homes or clusters of homes in large facilities, instead of one large facility. Palm Cottages designs are just that. A cluster of homes, rather than one large facility. We even have a special section of homes that is dedicated to providing memory care services for our residents who are in need of memory care treatment.
Again, quality of life is truly complicated and can have higher variance based on the individual’s experience, expectations, and history. However, we do all that we can to provide our residents with opportunity and with the level of care and services that promote higher quality of life.
Please contact us today if you would like more information about our facility or if you would like to schedule a guided tour. We look forward to helping you.