If your parents are getting older and you live far away, you may be worried about them. If this is the case, assisted senior living would be a good choice. This way, they can still have a lot of their independence and still get the help that they need with their everyday life. Below is information about what you should look for in an assisted senior living facility so you and your parents can decide if this would be a good fit for them.
Help With Personal Care
Ask the assisted senior living facility how they can help with personal care. For example, your parents may require help when it comes to toileting, eating, dressing, and bathing. They may need help remembering when to take their medication and when to have their medications refilled.
Many assisted senior living facilities offer housekeeping services as well to keep your parents' home/apartment clean for them. The facility may also do their laundry and have things dry-cleaned if needed.
Services Offered
Besides offering personal care services, assisted senior living facilities also offer other types of services. For example, many facilities have exercise programs that they can tailor to the needs of your parents.
The facility may have social gatherings on its site to help your parents get to know other residents. At these gatherings, there may be games, crafts, or music. The facility you choose may offer transportation services. This may be taking your parents to a doctor's appointment, take them to do something fun, like see a movie or go to the park and more.
Offer Meals
Assisted senior living facilities can offer meals to your parents, including three meals a day. This can be beneficial especially if your parents have memory problems or physical problems that cause problems with them cooking meals.
If your parents are on diet restrictions, the facility can also help them with this. For example, if one or both of your parents have diabetes, the assisted senior living facility can ensure they do not receive the wrong type of food. Many facilities have menus that your parents can order their food from to ensure they will like what they are served.
Talk with a few assisted senior living facilities in your area to learn much more about what they can offer. Take your parents with you to the facilities to let them choose the facility they would like best.
