The Benefits Of Assisted Living And Why Facilities Provide Social Lives For Residents

For many it is hard to face the reality that a loved one may not be able to care for themselves on a day to day basis any longer. It may be a parent or grandparent that needs a special kind of attention. Many of their children and grandchildren would like to take them into their own homes and care for them but may not have the facilities to do so or special training needed. Unfortunately, many who need assisted living are without any close family or friends that could care for them. However, modern assisted living facilities(ALFs) may be the answer.

There are millions of people who are in need of assisted living all over the world because they can no longer conduct activities of daily life (ADLs) on their own. This usually refers to the elderly but can also include those with disabilities. This type of care usually means that a person resides in a facility where normal daily needs such as eating, bathing, dressing and taking medications are conducted under the supervision or with the assistance of trained professionals.

In most cases a person who resides in these establishment requires help in at least three ADLs. These are people who do not require the intensive amount of care that could be present in a nursing home and requires a more social environment to be comfortable.

Usually, the female in these residences out number males by a 3 to 1 margin. The average age is 86.9 years old and their stay averages out to 28.3 years. Some have husbands, wives or significant others still living but in most cases these people are widows. These statistics are useful when deciding if a person is in true need of assisted living and what they can expect to find at these facilities.

Many will find that compared to nursing homes and intensive care units the social environment that is provided by the facility and the specialists that are employed there is the greatest advantage of living in this way. This helps to mitigate the loneliness and solitude that is known to surround elderly people. Unlike the other types of there is no monitored, mostly bedridden days where a patient may be lucky if they are wheeled out of their room to eat.

Full meals, three times a day are prepared fresh each time by trained kitchen staff so that the residents need not worry about it themselves. The meals are served in the communal dining area where conversation and interactions can take place between the different groups of residents.

Many of the newer facilities provide the residents with many amenities that are akin to still being independent while always ensuring that trained assistance is close by. For instance, in many cases a person may be given their own apartment type living area. No special monitoring equipment such as might be present in nursing homes are needed but basic household chores are provided by the staff. Bedding changes, trash removal, laundry services and fresh meals are provided daily.

Several Assisted Living New York facilities also offer service to the mentally ill. This is primarily reserved for people who are in certain stages of dementia, to include Alzheimer\’s disease. However, other types of patients with mental disabilities are welcome in some cases as long as they do not pose a threat to others or themselves.