Examining Quality of Life in an Assisted Living Community
Assisted living communities provide around-the-clock care for older adults who have certain health or mobility needs. When your loved one needs support with independence or when they require more assistance than you are able to provide, an assisted living community may be the best choice.
If you’ve started researching assisted living, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that there are many options. How do you know which community is best for your loved one? We’ve made a list of key assisted living qualities or characteristics that indicate residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life. We hope this list will make your search a little bit easier.
Family visits and family contact are encouraged. Not everyone is lucky enough to live close to their loved ones who are in assisted living. However, if you are close, your loved one’s community should encourage family visits. They should also be able to accommodate requests like family days, whether on site or taking your loved one out for the day. Thankfully, technology enables frequent family contact for those who don’t live close by. When choosing the right assisted living community, weigh both options: ensure they are close enough to where you live and that they have the necessary technology in place so your loved one can keep in touch virtually.
Diverse social activities. One fear people have about assisted living is that they’ll be isolated and alone, cut off from any sense of community. Assisted living communities should have a diverse range of social activities for all residents, including card games, arts and crafts, different forms of exercise, music and movie-related activities, cooking classes, and more. Social activities allow residents to keep exploring their interests, while strengthening their friendships with other residents.
Opportunities for independence and autonomy where possible. Moving your loved one into assisted living does not mean they are losing their independence and autonomy. Many assisted living communities, like UMC at Pitman, are designed to enable residents to maintain their independence in a safe, comfortable setting.
Embracing technology. Assisted living communities use technology to help residents keep in contact with their families, but there are many other areas where technology enhances quality of life for everyone. Features such as medication reminders, fall or irregular movement alerts, vital sign monitoring, and general security are all made possible by using the latest technologies. Reputable assisted living communities should embrace technology and be more than willing to teach residents how to use it.
Assisted living in Pitman, NJ
Making the decision to move a loved one into assisted living isn’t an easy one. We recommend choosing a community that uses a “resident-directed” approach, like we do at UMC at Pitman. The term resident-directed means that each person in the community receives a customized level of care specific to their needs. We also acknowledge that their health and mobility needs may change during their time with us. Rather than having to move from one community to the next, resident-directed assisted living communities accommodate people as necessary over time.
If you’re looking for an assisted living community in Gloucester County, we hope the tips discussed here will help you make an informed choice for your loved one. For more information about UMC at Pitman, or if you have any questions about our assisted living care services, please contact us today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/pitman/
