Before identifying the best facility, you must familiarize yourself with the different levels of care offered since the elderly have a diverse range of challenges and differences. Unlike the past decades, today’s seniors benefit from enjoying a variety of solutions to meet their needs. However, this diverse range of care levels can confuse. Depending on your community of choice, you must get acquainted with the stories of care offered so that you can prepare for the cost involved and the number of available caregivers or staff.
Identifying the specific level of care needed by your loved one relieves you from feeling overwhelmed. It also helps you ask relevant questions about your care level of choice and familiarizes you or your partner with the available support over time. Despite the numerous care stories in every assisted living community, there are common ones that offer an in-depth perspective and framework for you to come up with questions during the scheduled visits.
Three Common Care Levels You Need to Know
The most common is low-level care, which is provided to people who require minimal supervision, which means that they can go about their day’s activities without taking care of them. Even though some may need devices like wheelchairs, they can still move around and engage with others. These residents do not suffer from issues such as memory loss and can maintain daily hygiene and care. Residents also experience no difficulty in managing their medication without the need for complex medical monitoring.
Other residents may require higher levels of care, meaning that they need more hands-on assistance from the staff or caregivers. Higher levels of care are an involving task where caregivers are integral in the day-to-day running of the resident. From dressing, taking a shower, or managing their toiletries, they require a caregiver by their side almost all the time. They usually suffer from memory loss and need competent medical monitoring and professional assistance in pain management and increased safety.
Most assisted living communities offer memory care units, which is a much higher level of care than the first two. It is carefully designed and customized to residents who have Alzheimer’s or dementia, with the sole purpose of making them feel accepted and at home. Depending on the community you choose for your loved one, always ensure that they have continuous training in offering dementia care and the need for support groups and educational programs for family members.
What You Need to Prepare for When Selecting a Community
Before deciding on your assisted living of choice, you must ensure they offer the level of care needed for you or your loved one. It would help if you also visited the facility severally to transition smoothly from the life you were used to the energy in the community. Consulting the team of professionals offers you relevant information to make your decision as informed as possible.