What Does Assisted Living Provide for Residents?

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Assisted living may be the perfect solution for seniors who need minimal help with medical care or ambulation. However, each senior adult is different and may need or desire specific services. 

Will the assisted living facility you choose provide the services that your or your senior family member needs?

When you discover the ideal fit for your loved one, you can be assured that they are getting exactly what they need and require.

Continue reading to learn more about:

• What assisted living provides
• What assisted living does not offer; and
• Much more

What Services Are Usually Included in Assisted Living?

Assisted living facilities are designed to provide residents with: 

• Nurturing
• Comfortable; and
• Home-like environments 

Additionally, they provide supportive services such as …

• Managing medications
• Grooming and dressing assistance

… if needed.

With supportive services available when needed, residents can maintain their independence and quality of life.

6 Services You Can Expect From Most Assisted Care Facilities  

#1: Social Activities and Outings 

Assisted living facilities emphasize activities and outings as an integral part of their culture. 

With a variety of fun things to do, it’s easy to make residents smile. It is not difficult or expensive to create fun at an assisted living facility. 

The typical assisted living facility is active and engaging. The majority of them offer rewarding and positive experiences for residents, and activities play a crucial role in that. 

Activities are a great way to make the residents feel like they are part of the community. 

Assisted living communities often pride themselves on maintaining a home-like environment, and a robust activities program can help residents and their families feel a sense of community.

Providing residents with an individualized, well-thought-out activities program in an assisted living facility is essential. There are so many more activities available for seniors than watching TV or playing bingo.

Some examples of the social activities you might find at an assisted living facility include: 

• Arts and crafts
• Pokeno, Bunco, etc.
• Game tournaments
• Concerts
• Barbeques
• Picnics
• Movie night
• Pizza night
• Fitness activities
• Dancing parties
• Karaoke
• Dog shows; and
• Much more

Some example of outings that can be found at an assisted living facility include: 

• Museum tours
• Library visits
• Local tourist attractions
• Local historical sites
• A fun day outdoors with a picnic
• Local festivals
• Movies, plays, concerts
• A class or a workshop

#2: Nutritious Meals With Friends 

Communal dining is an excellent opportunity for residents at assisted living facilities to socialize over meals. In addition to mingling, they are also enjoying a delicious meal.

While sharing a table in the dining room, the residents can chat about their day and get to know each other better. To dispel the feeling of eating in an institution, creative seating arrangements will promote activity and interaction between residents.

Another perk to dining in assisted living? No more bland and boring meals; assisted living facilities are now competing with country clubs and restaurants for top chefs. Today, senior living dining is more interesting than the traditional single plate of food of the past — the food is both delicious and diverse.

Everyone, including seniors, is affected by the shift toward clean living and organic products. There are plenty of older people who grew up eating healthy food and are delighted to see that the world is losing its love affair with pre-packaged food. Seniors can enjoy natural and nutritious ingredients with a return to more natural food and organic preparation.

Healthy meals have become a huge part of senior dining. You will often find …

• Fresh fruits
• Fresh vegetables
• Lower sodium choices
• Gluten-free options; and
• Vegetarian meals

  … as part of an assisted living facility’s daily menu. 

In addition to professional chefs, many senior living communities have dietitians and wellness staff that can help plan tasty, nutritious meals. Residents in some communities have the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback on what they would like to see on the menu.

#3: Housekeeping and Maintenance 

One significant advantage of living in an assisted living facility is that housekeeping and maintenance are taken care of.     

Less housework equals less stress, and nearly all assisted living communities provide housekeeping services as part of their rent. The result is that seniors can focus on: 

• Feeling good 
• Their Happiness
• A healthy lifestyle; and 
• Their well-being

Cleaning and maintaining a comfortable environment are the responsibility of housekeepers at assisted living facilities. Clean and comfortable living spaces, including shared living spaces, are provided for each resident.  

Maintenance and repair workers are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for residents and guests in assisted living facilities. These workers look for and resolve problems as they occur, ensuring that every aspect of a resident’s space is fully functional and effective.

Building maintenance may include: 

• Plumbing
• Heating; and
• Air conditioning

#4: Medication Management

In an assisted living community, medication management is another key service. 

While living in an assisted living community, residents can maintain an active, healthy lifestyle while taking their medications properly. Drug interactions can occur when prescriptions are not taken as prescribed by doctors. Medication management systems help to reduce the chances of that happening.

Seniors and their families often seek assisted living services for managing medications.

Medication management can include: 

• Keeping track of dosing amounts
• Keeping track of dosing times; and
• Opening difficult-to-open pill bottles

The health and safety of residents are of utmost importance to the staff. When it comes to assisted living medication management, you can expect some precautions and procedures.

Senior Services of America communities offer resident-centered programs in dining, wellness, and life enrichment; this includes medication management for assisted living facilities. If you have questions about our programs, find your nearest community to speak to one of our advisors.

#5: Help With Personal Care

Receiving assistance with personal care is another benefit of living in an assisted living facility. 

Assisted living facilities typically provide caregivers 24 hours a day to assist residents with personal care. In many assisted living communities, residents can set up a routine or schedule for routine personal care, such as: 

• Dressing in the morning
• Eating meals; or 
• Taking a bath in the evening

In addition, caregivers are always on call to meet any unscheduled needs.  

An assisted living facility may offer a variety of amenities and services. A few of these services are:

• Laundry service
• Assistance with bathing
• Assistance with laundry services 
• Incontinence program
• Concierge service; and
• On-site therapies  

An assisted living facility is staffed 24 hours a day and provides emergency care.

#6: In-House Convenience Options 

In addition to providing comfort and convenience without requiring transportation, assisted living facilities offer a wide range of services.

Facilities offer different convenience options, but some of them include:

• Beauty salons and barbershops
• Movie theater
• Library
• Community garden
• Spa
• Fitness center
• Chapel

What Does Assisted Living Not Provide?

There are lots of benefits to living in an assisted living facility. Many services are provided, but not all services.  

A few services that are not provided in assisted living include:

• Specialized services for memory loss
• Palliative Care; and
• Secure entrances and exits secondary to concerns of patient wandering

What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living and Other Types of Care?

As we have discussed, assisted living offers long-term housing and care for seniors. Assisted living residents tend to be active but may need assistance with daily living activities. 

Most seniors in assisted living don’t require skilled nursing services like those in nursing homes, or  specifc care related to memory loss like those in memory care communities. This is one of the most significant differences between assisted living facilities and other senior living facilities. 

Memory care facilities offer some of the following services that an assisted living facility may not provide:

• Specialized care for patients with memory loss
• 24-hour care and supervision
• Secure entrances and exits to prevent wandering
• Memory-enhancing therapies; and
• Unique facility design and layout to reduce confusion

How to Know Which Assisted Living Community Is Best for You or Your Loved One?

Making a decision about assisted living facilities can be overwhelming. 

Before choosing and moving to senior living, there are many things you need to consider and questions to ask, whether you’re looking for an assisted living facility for your elderly parents or for yourself.

The question you’re asking is, “Where do I find the right one?”. 

It is important to take into account the following factors:

1. What level of care the community provides — Do you want or need continuous care with plenty of attention and access to the staff each day?
2. The activities the program provides — Maybe you’re interested in group activities and maintaining an active social life? Maybe you prefer crafts compared to exercises?
3. Costs — When considering how to choose a retirement home, the cost is a critical factor to think about. 
4. Additional perks — These can vary from medication management to transportation.

Senior Services of America: Where We Focus On Living Life to Its Fullest 

We understand how difficult it can be to choose the right care for yourself or a loved one. 

There are so many options that your head can spin. 

We encourage residents to remain as independent as possible and continue living meaningful and purposeful lives. Our goal is to help residents stay engaged in life: 

• Mentally
• Physically; and
• Emotionally

We offer a positive residential environment that inspires and encourages our residents to reach their full potential.

Our incredible team members at Senior Services of America communities can answer any questions you may have about assisted living, including what to bring. 

Find your nearest community to talk through your options with one of our advisors.