Finding the Right Assisted Living Facility
Making the best decision for your parent depends on health needs, resources, and collective wishes. Assisted living facilities create a safe place for those who can no longer live on their own, but don’t need around-the-clock care. Private apartments are provided with services, such as daily living assistance, medication help, prepared meals, and housekeeping.
We want the best assisted living facility for our elderly loved ones. There are plenty of assisted living communities across the country, but finding the right one that fits their needs is not an easy task.
The Next Steps
People are typically happier when they are close to their loved ones. This makes finding a facility in the right place important, along with making sure it is good quality. Research is essential in choosing, gather facts about each one and weigh the pros and cons. Once, the main ones have been selected schedule an interview.
Evaluating a senior living home first comes with scheduling a tour of the facility. The manager should be able to provide information on how the facility addresses a resident’s specific and changing needs.
Accreditation
When visiting inquire with the property director about the facility having proper accreditation. Asking questions and doing online research about the facility is vital to finding the right home for your parent.
- Check for accreditation of the assisted living home.
Staff Interaction with Residents
Caregivers in senior homes have an important role in the well being of your parent in their new home. While visiting the facility observe how the caregivers interact with the residents. Are they attentive to their needs? Are the residents known by their names? Do they make the residents feel safe and comfortable?
There needs to be enough staff members to care for the number of residents and to help keep the place clean. This is something to assess on your visit to the assisted living facility, along with what type of caregivers are accessible, if they are able to handle emergency situations, and if their is a system in place for evaluating staff on their performance.
- Be aware of how the staff interacts with its residents.
Clean and Well-maintained
An assisted living facility should be clean and well-maintained to keep the residents feeling safe and secure. While visiting assess the common rooms, individual living quarters, and bathrooms to make sure they are clean and orderly.
- Cleanliness and being well-maintained are high priorities in finding the right senior home.
Open Communication
A facility should be open to notifying you about changes in the physical and mental health of your loved one. Before making a choice about an assisted living facility it should be determined whether management is clear in communication between resident’s and their family. In regards to questions about medical care, emergencies and other matters it’s important to know who to contact at the facility.
- Make sure the staff has open communication about changes in your loved one’s health.
Nutrition
Food and nutritional needs are a high priority for an aging loved one because all their dietary requirements need to be met. During your visit with the assisted living facility make sure the kitchen is able to work with special dietary requests, including allergies and cultural preferences.
Other factors are important to asses, such as who handles the meals, preparation, and how often meals are served. Also, eating in a common dining area is good for the residents because it encourages socializing with others.
- All dietary requirements should be met by the nutrition of the facility.
Accommodation
A room should be provided for your loved one that is comfortable, safe, and secure. Many different options of accommodation are available based on budget. Although all rooms should be appealing, spacious, and provide adequate lighting and ventilation.
Safety hazards should be checked, such as gaps in the flooring or uneven carpeting. Rooms should include grab bars in the bathroom, emergency call buttons, and fire sprinklers.
- Accommodation should be comfortable, secure, and have all necessary safety precautions.
Activities
An array of social activities should be provided for residents to actively participate in socializing. This helps build new relationships with other residents. Although, there should be time left for individual activities as well.
- Social activities should be provided for healthy socializing of the residents.
Fairmont Grand Senior Living Community in Rapid City, SD
Fairmont Grand is a resident centered senior living and memory care facility in Rapid City, SD. Our goal is to create an environment where resident well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
Our wide range of services are designed to meet you or your loved one’s daily needs. We offer restaurant style dining options, a variety of physical activities, and give residents the opportunity to live as independently as possible.
If you or a loved one near Rapid City, South Dakota are considering assisted living or memory care, contact Fairmont Grand to learn more about individualized living options or tour our community.
