When your loved one needs more daily assistance than you can provide, it’s time to start looking for an assisted living facility. Rather than the complete care that a nursing home provides, an assisted living facility will help your loved one maintain his or her independence while still providing help with day-to-day activities as necessary. When looking for the perfect facility, here are five things that you should avoid:
1.Lack of Graduated Care
Experts in the medical field suggest finding an assisted living facility that offers graduated care. This means that, although your loved one may only need minor assistance now, you should look for a facility that can provide a higher level of assistance down the road. If the facilities that you are looking at only level a single offer of care, you should continue your search. Once your loved one moves into the facility, it will soon start to feel like home. You don’t want to have to move your family member again should they eventually need more help than they do right now.
2.Unfriendly Staff
When you walk into a facility, look closely at the staff. Are you acknowledged by everyone that you see? While you shouldn’t expect a handshake and a conversation, you should expect at least a smile or a nod. Remember that these are the people who will surround your loved one every day. If the staff doesn’t seem friendly and helpful to you, they won’t seem friendly and helpful to your loved one.
3.Few Activities
When it comes to assisted living facilities, the more activities offered for your loved one to take part in, the better. Avoid facilities that have little to no planned activities for their residents to take part in. Your loved one will be living in this facility and should have access to games, workshops, lessons and various other activities that will keep them both interested and busy. No one wants to see their loved one wasting away in a room, staring out of a window.
4.Long Commutes
It’s not unusual for people in assisted living facilities to feel isolated from family and friends. Don’t choose a facility that will be difficult to travel to when you want to visit your relative. Consider the distance between your home and the facility when making your choice. If your immediate family is somewhat spread out, you may want to choose a facility that is central to most of the family to ensure that your loved one receives as many visitors as possible.
5.High Staff-to-Resident Ratio
If you see dozens of residents for every staff member, consider looking elsewhere. These are the people who will be taking care of your loved one; if they are stretched too thin, your family member may suffer. Not only will the workers not have time to give your family member the attention that he or she needs, but overworked employees are unhappy employees. Instead, find a facility that has a low staff-to-resident ratio, especially during the day time when most residents are awake.
You’ve got to be careful when you choose an assisted living facility for your family member. This will be a stressful time for your loved one; choosing the right facility can make all the difference when it comes to the care that your family member will receive.
– Traci Waters writes for elderly care blogs. If you have a parent who needs assistance, check out the best assisted living centers.
