In-Home Senior Care in conjunction with Independent and Assisted Living
Often, families are caught off guard when confronted with the fact that they need to add caregivers to the plan of care at the assisted living facility. The first thought is the additional expense, but fear not! A caregiver used in conjunction with the care and amenities provided at an independent/assisted living facility can be a terrific experience.
Many assisted living facilities have another section of the building that is classified as “Independent.”
It’s essentially a retirement home. There are no medical or clinical services provided. Mom may have moved into the building at 68 years of age. She’s lived happily and independently there for the last 10 years. Now, she’s fallen several times lately but has not been injured….thankfully! Her mind is great and she still handles her business as usual. However, the staff is worried. What do you do? Move her to the assisted living side? She doesn’t totally qualify for assisted living, and there is a waiting list to get a room. Mom loves her apartment and wants to stay there. She loves her neighbors. She loves her routine.
A scheduled caregiver is a perfect solution.
Mom can get the incremental help she needs, maybe it’s in the morning when getting out of bed and getting dressed. Or perhaps it’s getting a little help walking down to lunch and dinner. Maybe getting her bath requires a little assistance. Or perhaps she needs some help preparing for bed in the evening.
The same is true with a resident in assisted living. There are many residents in assisted living who cannot ambulate independently to escape the building in case of an emergency, like a fire. The facility staff can’t be with a resident one on one for hour after hour. So caregivers working set shifts can keep an assisted living resident safe and keep her from having to move out of the building entirely. Often, the next step after assisted living is a skilled nursing facility, and many residents are simply not candidates. Caregivers can allow the residents to stay where they want to be, and help the assisted living facilities keep their residents.
Whether it’s a long shift or a short one, the presence and assistance of the caregiver will keep mom safe and independent in her home, wherever “home” is.
Have a loved one in facility that needs additional help? Feel free to reach out to us at Senior Care Management Solutions. We work closely with many of the residential communities in town, and will be happy to collaborate with the family and the management of the facility to craft a plan of care that will serve your loved one properly.