If you or somebody you love is facing the prospect of any type of elder care, needs some type of support in their senior years of their life, assisted living will come up. It should. It is one of the top forms of elder care available to aging men and women.
There is often too much resistance among some seniors with regard to assisted living, though. Much of this comes from misconceptions. Because most people don’t have any direct experience with assisted living, it’s easy to associate it with different types of elder care, especially institutionalized forms.
Assisted living can offer a high quality of life for aging men and women, whether they need immediate assistance on a regular, daily basis now or more likely in the future. When looking into assisted living — for yourself or somebody you love — below are three questions you might want to ask while taking a tour, speaking to administrators, or even discussing it among family and those who have some direct experience with it in their past.
1. What kind of dining options are available?
Many people, when thinking about dining at assisted living, have this vision of things like a high school cafeteria. Plastic tables, plastic seats, trays, and seniors strolling around like they’re back in grade school.
That should not be the case. It isn’t the case in a higher quality assisted living community. For these better elder care facilities, there should be a restaurant style facility, somewhere seniors can go and sit down, look at a menu, and order what they want.
You also may want to ask about the type of menu available and whether it changes or takes into account some residents and their specific dietary restrictions or requirements.
2. How involved are residents in various activities?
Some facilities may put on activities like art and music, entertainment, or even fitness, but are residents participating in them? If residents are not participating very often, this would beg the next question about why.
Are the activities beyond their abilities? Are they too juvenile? Do they cost money? This is where you can dig in and see how the facility is set up and how it caters to the direct needs and preferences of the residents who call it home.
3. How often does this facility provide opportunities for residents to get out?
Whether this means getting outside for some exercise, gardening, or going for a walk around the grounds or perhaps taking transportation to a local mall, art gallery, museum, or park, it’s important to understand what options the facility makes available for residents to still live life on their terms.
Not every facility is going to answer all of these questions the same way. You might find an assisted living community that offers great dining options and a four or five star chef on staff at all times, but their activities leave something to be desired. Or you might find a facility that really looks at staying active as being part of healthy living, but their dining options are not where you want them.
Keep asking questions and help the senior understand the value that assisted living does offer.
If you or an aging loved one are considering assisted living at home in Brookfield, WI please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services today. Call (414) 206-2090
At Talem Home Care of Milwaukee, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Brookfield, Cudahy, Delafield, Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee, Mukwonago, Muskego, New Berlin, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Shorewood, South Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, West Allis and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.
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