Does an Assisted Living Apartment Make Sense for Your Loved One?

Family members searching for the best living situation for their aging loved one have quite a job ahead of them. Not only will they spend time researching, comparing, and touring various senior living communities,  they will also have to decide what option makes the most sense for their loved one's unique situation. It can be a lot to process all at once, and many caregivers find the information overwhelming. In these cases, it might help to zero in on one option at a time, and learn as much as you can.

Among the living options you have to consider are assisted living apartments. Some caregivers are initially confused by the term "apartment," as it seems to imply a certain amount of responsibility on the part of their relative that may be beyond their capabilities. To help clear things up, we are presenting a list of benefits of our Connecticut assisted living apartments, such as our community Wesley Heights, and what both you and your loved one can expect from their new home.

Feeling at Home

As a caregiver, you already know that there is a huge difference between mere housing, and a home. In order to make your loved one feel as happy and comfortable as possible, it is important that they experience a welcoming, safe, and private living space.

Everyone needs a place to get away, and one of the main objections raised by older adults is a lack of privacy in some Connecticut assisted living apartments. In a way, it feels like college or school again, spending what seems like all day with others. Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities to socialize and interact with others, but in communities like Wesley Heights, there are also safe and comfortable places to sit down and collect your thoughts at the end of the day. The beauty of assisted living is you’re able to have as much interaction or independence from others as you’d like!

This plays into our desire to have the feeling of "home" when we’re considering our options. Asking someone to leave their own home, or perhaps your home, and start over in a new apartment can be stressful. It's important that every new resident feel immediately welcomed and reassured that they will have their own place. Their own home. And if you carefully select the right community, you should have no problem calling this place “home.”  

For your loved one, home might mean a cozy space with their favorite chair, a kitchen table to chat with friends and family, or simply the comfort and dignity that comes with knowing you have your own space. A good balance of assistance and independence is important to the health and happiness of everyone, regardless of age and in assisted living communities, you should be able to get the perfect balance of both.

Getting Assistance

The availability of assistance is usually among the chief concerns for caregivers – after all, they have been personally seeing to their loved one’s needs for quite some time, and relinquishing those duties to someone else can seem difficult.

Some assisted living apartments have nurses on staff 24/7. This way, the medical needs of your loved one can be attended to by a health professional, and there is no need to drive to an outside establishment for everyday medical care. A nurse can also assess whether or not a medical event constitutes an emergency, and can immediately arrange for additional care if necessary.

Many of our aging loved ones also require a little extra help with their personal needs. Good assisted-living apartment communities offer help with everyday tasks such as showering, cooking, cleaning, and driving. This way, the residents can remain comfortable and safe, without having to worry about overextending themselves.

In many Connecticut assisted living apartments, these extra services are customizable. For instance, if your relative loves to cook and takes great pride in preparing their own meals, depending on which option they choose, they can continue to do that in their very own home. Many assisted living options can also help with transportation to and from the grocery store, carry in bags of fresh ingredients, and leave the rest to to the resident.

Access to Amenities

Isolation can be one of the biggest problems faced by aging individuals. As they become less able to move around freely, their world can grow smaller and smaller, cutting them off from many important aspects of everyday life. One of the best things about assisted-living apartment communities is that they embrace this smaller world, and fill it with everything your loved one will need.

Salon and barber services are available on-site to keep your love one looking and feeling their best.  There is also a kitchen serving up nutritionally balanced, delicious meals to keep them healthy and strong. Making these important services part of everyday life encourages residents to keep getting out there and interacting with the community.

As far as socializing goes, there are ample opportunities to make new friends, visit new places, and shake off the loneliness that may have begun setting in before they came to their new community. Special outings are often planned which provide transportation to local attractions and destinations so your loved ones will never feel cut off from the rest of the world. There are always games and activities available which help to bring community residents and their families together. A good strong community is absolutely essential to the health and well-being of everyone.

Even if your loved one is unable to travel too far, there will be engaging options inside the assisted living community for them to participate in. For instance, at Wesley Heights, there's a beautiful sunroom for residents to enjoy on-site. Sunlight provides us with vitamin D, which is important for physical and mental health. Nobody should miss out on those benefits simply because they have limited mobility. There are most likely an array of other on-site activities being offered as well.

If you are still in the early stages of choosing the best senior care option for your loved one, this guide hopefully gave you a clearer picture of what assisted-living apartments look like. For some individuals, they offer the perfect blend of medical assistance, personal assistance, privacy, and independent living.

However, they are not the only choice available. Depending on the needs of your loved one, they may be better suited to something else – perhaps an independent living cottage, short-term rehab, or even hospice care. And of course, their needs may change over time.

The absolute best tool to have at your disposal as a caregiver is knowledge and understanding. The more knowledge you have about assisted living apartments, the more confident you can feel in your choices. A great resource is our free reference material titled “Your Guide to Senior Care Options." It contains more in-depth information on the various types of senior living and can help you narrow down your choices to find the best possible fit for your family.