12 Benefits of Moving to Assisted Living

We’ve all heard negative stories about assisted living facilities, and there are definitely some bad actors out there. However, when they are run with integrity, assisted living facilities can be hugely beneficial for both elderly people and their families. Here are 12 benefits of moving into a great assisted living facility:

On-call assistance

Your loved one can fall or have a heart attack at any time of day or night. Assisted living facilities have staff on site around the clock, meaning that someone will always be right there to help if they need it — even if it’s the dead of night. If your loved one is very fragile or prone to sudden medical emergencies, this is a huge benefit that most other care options don’t provide.

Help with daily living

Lots of older adults struggle with daily tasks such as fastening front closure bras for seniors and tying shoes for swollen feet, especially if they have advanced physical or cognitive health conditions. Assisted living staff will be there to help them with all these tasks, whether they need assistance getting into bed or brushing their teeth. This means that your loved one’s daily needs will be met no matter what.

Better hygiene

As a side effect of all the help with daily living activities, your elderly loved one will almost certainly have better hygiene as a result. Not only will staff help with daily hygiene tasks, most facilities also bring in barbers and other service providers to offer haircuts and more in order to keep your loved ones looking and feeling their best.

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Improved nutrition

A lot of older adults find that it’s simply not worth it to go to the trouble of finding a recipe, making a list, going to the grocery store, making a home-cooked meal and cleaning up. Thus, they simply end up heating easy but not so nutritious frozen meals, or even skip meals altogether. At assisted living facilities, all their meals will be provided for them at the cafeteria, ensuring that they get adequate nutrition and quality food that is suitable for whatever diet their doctor has recommended.

Increased physical activity

Exercise is essential for aging gracefully, which is why pretty much every assisted living facility provides a host of different exercise classes tailored especially to seniors. These fun yet skill-appropriate classes are designed with the mobility limitations of older adults in mind and taught by expert instructors who have experience working with seniors. Having classes on-site also eliminates the hassle of having to transport your loved one to the gym and back.

Enriching classes and trips

Exercise classes aren’t the only activities offered at assisted living facilities. Most of them offer a wide range of classes on site, including art classes, language classes, tech classes and more. They may also coordinate outings to local museums, parks, gardens and other areas of interest. These activities help enrich your elderly loved ones’ lives and encourage them to pursue fulfilling hobbies.

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Intellectual stimulation

All of these activities don’t just help elderly people pass the time. They also stimulate their brains, helping them to stay mentally sharp. In addition to structured activities, assisted living facilities also provide board games, card games, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles and other options for independent activity time. This will further stimulate your loved one’s mind and help fend off cognitive decline.

Easy social interactions

As a result of all these activities, your loved ones will have plenty of opportunities — both structured and informal — to socialize with peers who have the same interests as they do. This is really important because older adults are vulnerable to isolation, loneliness and depression, all of which social interaction helps to prevent. By lowering the barrier to entry, assisted living facilities make it easy for older adults to make friends.

More free time

Cooking meals, washing adaptive clothing for women, cleaning the house, maintaining the yard and other regular chores take up a lot of time and effort. The staff at assisted living facilities will take care of all these tasks for your loved ones, drastically freeing up their schedule and giving them more time to do the things they love — whether that’s bird watching or playing chess with friends.

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On-demand transportation

Some older adults are no longer able to drive safely as their vision and motor skills degrade. A few are able to switch to public transportation, but this may not be a viable option if your local routes are limited, confusing or unreliable. That’s why most assisted living facilities provide drivers who can take residents wherever they need to go. This allows older adults to stay mobile without putting themselves in danger by getting behind the wheel.

Security and safety

Older adults are vulnerable to scams, frauds, home break-ins and other dangers. Assisted living communities help protect against these dangers through the safety of collective living as well as other security measures. Now, you shouldn’t store any valuables in your loved one’s room or anything, but assisted living facilities will help to guard their physical safety.

Peace of mind

Moving your elderly loved ones into an assisted living facility can help provide peace of mind for both your loved ones and the rest of the family. This is especially true if they live far away in an area where relatives could not come to their aid quickly in the event of an emergency. If you are worried about your loved one needing help while you aren’t there, moving them into an assisted living facility can put those fears to rest.

Your senior loved one will only realize these benefits if you move them into a well-run facility, so make sure that you are carefully vetting all your assisted living options. Don’t be afraid to get yourself involved in the process, especially if your loved one is starting to experience some cognitive decline. They deserve to be in the best assisted living facility possible, one where they can realize all these benefits.

Infographic created by Aqua Ridge of Montclair, Comfortable Assisted Living Montclair