Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger on Unsplash
A lot of thought and care goes into designing assisted living facilities, including assisted living amenities. Safety, comfort, and quality of life are the three most important factors that are taken into consideration when designing the layout of the premises and the amenities offered.
While every assisted living community may be designed differently to cater to different needs, some assisted living amenities are universal to all. We’ve put together the top 20 most crucial assisted living amenities to look for when comparing senior communities.
-
Senior-Friendly Common Amenities
Slips, trips, and falls are the three most common causes of injuries among the elderly. Assisted living premises must have certain senior-friendly amenities in place to minimize these risks. This includes things such as accessible handrails along the walls, non-slip flooring, and well-lit and clutter-free passageways.
-
On-Site Medical Assistance
Receiving timely medical assistance is vital at any age, more so as we age when the mildest symptoms can escalate quickly without timely treatment. It can be reassuring to senior residents to know that medical assistance is not very far away when they need it. In addition to regular check-ups, on-site medical assistance also includes medicine management to prevent adverse reactions from combining different medications.
-
Staff Trained In Geriatric Care
This is non-negotiable. Care requirements for the elderly are very different from that of younger age groups. All assisted living facilities must hire staff trained in the nuances of geriatric care.
-
Senior-Friendly Apartments & Bathrooms
The apartments and bathrooms in a senior community must make allowances for the limitations and mobility restrictions of the elderly residents. Apartments must be furnished with beds and chairs that are easy to get in and out off. All furniture must be rounded to prevent injuries caused by bumping into sharp edges. Bathrooms must have non-slip flooring, grab bars for support while getting in and out of the tub, and easy-to-use fixtures. In addition, all residents must have easy access to buttons for quick assistance. These must be installed in all apartments, bathrooms, and common areas.
-
Round The Clock Assistance
Care needs don’t have timings. If you feel sick or trip and fall while going to the bathroom at night you shouldn’t have to wait till morning to get help. Knowing that round-the-clock assistance is available can be very reassuring to senior residents of assisted living facilities.
-
Personal Assistance If Needed
Personalized assistance is just as important as 24/7 assistance. Many seniors need help with personal hygiene tasks, grooming, or dressing up. Others may need help with remembering to take their medications. An assurance that a facility offers one-on-one assistance is not enough. What’s important is to check the staff-to-resident ratio. Is it low enough to ensure that all residents get the care and assistance they need when they need it? If the staff-to-resident ratio is too high, the staff are likely to be too overworked to offer you the help you need when you need it.
-
24/7 Security
Safety is paramount in any senior community. Every assisted living facility must have ironclad security measures in place to prevent outsiders from getting in without clearance. Security measures should also prevent seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia from accidentally getting out.
-
Nutritious Meal Plan
For many seniors, one of the perks of moving to assisted living is not having to stress over grocery shopping and cooking. Poor nutrition in the elderly can compromise their health in several ways from vitamin and mineral deficiencies to weaker immunity and a higher likelihood of hospitalization. Meal menus must be varied and must cater to different types of food allergies.
-
Pharmacy Services
Seniors invariably take a variety of medications for a wide range of age-related health issues. Having some sort of pharmacy services, whether an on-site pharmacy or a tie-up with a local pharmacy can make it easier for residents to get their prescription meds.
-
Internet
The internet is no longer a luxury amenity, it’s a necessity today. It allows residents to video chat with loved ones, learn a new skill or a new language through online classes, and catch up with the news on their preferred channel.
-
Recreational Facilities
Having easy access to a wide range of recreational facilities eliminates boredom, loneliness, and depression and bolsters physical and mental health regardless of age. The assisted living facility you choose must have a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities, which may include things like a swimming pool, gym, gardening, regular yoga classes, or creative workshops.
-
Activity Room
An activity room with a pool, table-tennis, or card table can provide a kind of hub where residents can team up and interact with each together. Spending time interacting with other residents is crucial to seniors’ mental and emotional well-being. It helps thwart feelings of loneliness and isolation that are common in seniors living alone at home where it’s difficult to find others of the same age to spend time with.
Bingo nights, cocktail evenings, dance parties, and movie nights with popcorn can do more than liven things up. It also provides opportunities for residents to make new connections and form new friendships which provide much-needed peer support. It’s important to make sure that the assisted living facility you choose organizes fun events and activities for residents regularly.
-
Library
Quiet time is just as important as participating in lively organized events. A well-stocked library with books from diverse genres ensures that every resident is sure to find a book they are interested in, whether it is fiction, self-help, biographies, or philosophy.
-
Transportation Services
Seniors in assisted living facilities rely on community transportation if they need to go out anywhere, whether it is to the bank, museum, mall, or theater. every facility must make some sort of transportation arrangement for their residents.
-
Physical Therapy Services
Regular physical therapy helps improve flexibility and balance, reduces pain, and minimizes the risk of injuries from falls. But visiting a local clinic may be inconvenient or even impossible for seniors. A senior community must organize regular physical therapy sessions on-site for residents.
-
On-site Ambulance
Not all assisted living premises are located near a hospital. In case of an emergency, waiting for an ambulance to arrive can be a waste of precious time. Considering that older individuals are more likely to require hospitalization, all facilities must have an ambulance on site to reduce the time it takes to get to a hospital.
-
Linen & Laundry Service
For many seniors, changing bed linen and doing laundry can be a challenge. It also increases the risk of back pain from bending while changing the sheets or carrying a heavy basket of laundry. However, this is not something that can be avoided. Offering a linen and laundry service can be a huge relief to residents.
-
Housekeeping
It’s not just linen and laundry chores that can be challenging. Vacuuming, dusting, and mopping can be just as difficult with age. Most assisted living facilities do offer this service but don’t presume anything. Always ask to make sure the facility offers this crucial service.
-
Group Trips To Local Events
Getting on a bus with peers and heading off to a concert, music event or community fair or fund-raiser is something that everyone looks forward to. It can make for many treasured memories to hold on to and reminisce over at breakfast the next morning back at the facility.
The most crucial assisted living amenities are those that include an element of safety, comfort, and convenience to all residents. When choosing an assisted living facility for yourself or a loved one, make sure they offer the twenty amenities mentioned above.