When people become residents of a senior care community, they do not all need the same things out of the facility. Some simply need a place to stay where they’re not too far away from emergency help, while also being able to get a few meals and some socialization in their lives. Others need help with basic functions of living, and may also need someone to help them manage their medications. Some clients may even need more help, such as those who are nearing the end of their lives or those who suffer from dementia or similar afflictions. The amount of care that the senior in your life needs can vary wildly from the care that their neighbor needs.
Why Does Care Differ From Senior Living Communities?
As with any business, senior living communities often gear themselves towards certain customers and offering certain services. Some communities tend to take a general approach, offering care to everyone from the active senior to the senior nearing the end of their lives, while others will center themselves around specific types of care for specific people with specific problems, such as those with dementia or those with certain medical issues.
One notable difference is between something like ‘memory care’ and ‘assisted living’. Memory care is a system of care that is for those who have Alzheimer’s or some sort of dementia. This kind of care is not just to ensure that your aging family member is receiving proper care, but also to ensure that they stay safe and that their dementia or Alzheimer’s is receiving the best treatment that it possibly can.
Assisted living, on the other hand, is care that dedicates itself to helping those that cannot take care of themselves entirely. This may be as simple as helping provide them with food, ensuring they take medicine, and making sure they don’t hurt themselves, or it may go far as needing assistance with the very basics of living. People have different needs, and addressing those needs is the duty of a senior living community.
What Level Of Care Does My Family Member Need?
To be honest, that depends on your individual family member. If they’re a spry elderly person, one who is active, then they don’t need much care at all. They might just need someone to drive them to activities, someone who can make sure that they don’t hurt themselves, and care that will ensure that they are taking their medication as they should be.
Whatever the needs of your elderly loved one, you can find a senior living community that caters to their needs. Just be sure to do your research, and to learn about what the senior living communities you are looking into can offer.