Assisted Living offers a more independent lifestyle than traditional nursing homes. Nursing homes care for residents that are unable to provide enough of their own care or are experiencing a substantial amount of memory loss. Assisted Living is designed for those who are still able to continue caring for themselves, but need some help for certain aspects of their daily living.
Safety is a concern that all individuals in search of an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) should research thoroughly. Nursing homes offer twenty-four hour on-site care and surveillance in most cases. While you are searching for an assisted living community, make sure to consider if the ALFs being considered offer the same? Here is a list of safety items to consider:
• Handrails in hallways.
• Handrails in showers/tubs.
• Bright lighting in hallways, common areas, and doorways.
• 24 hour emergency response.
• Alarms on doors and windows.
• Pull-cords in bathrooms by toilets and showers.
• Adequate staffing during ‘off hours’.
• Clearly marked fire escape plans.
• Clearly marked exits.
The above list can be supplemented by the specific needs of you or your loved one. Some conditions may require closer monitoring for the resident’s increased safety. Residents with Alzheimer’s disease may need personal alarms to deter wandering. Those with diabetes could need to be reminded to check their blood glucose levels or be supervised during food shopping to avoid too much sugar in their diet.
Other safety concerns may include the qualifications of the personal care staff on site. Every staff member should be able to provide a clean background check, free of any abuse or sexual charges. It is within the right of a potential customer to ask about the background of staff- particularly the staff that will be interacting with the resident daily.
A major selling point of an ALF is their location. Views are wonderful, but how close to the local hospital is the ALF you are researching? Can an ambulance reach the ALF, then the hospital in a short period of time? Remember that every minute counts in an emergency and the closer the hospital is located to the ALF, the outcome of an emergency can be determined much better by the attending physician without a tedious stretch of time.
Depending on the resident’s family relations, proximity to their children can be a determining factor in safety. Can a spouse or child visit often enough to check that proper care is being provided? That the resident is improving or perhaps needs to be moved into a more comprehensive care unit? The more that family can visit, the less likely that health problems stemming from depression will occur. A happy, healthy resident is a safe resident.
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