nursing homes - richmont senior

Very Common Reasons to Consider Nursing Homes For Older Loved Ones

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When it comes to taking care of your loved ones who need special care, there is nothing better than nursing homes. This is because of the improved standards driven by government regulations as well as consumer pressure.

 

 

These facilities are high-quality institutions that are well regulated. This is because they are intended for the care and treatment of older citizens with several mental or physical disabilities. Thus, you should know when it is time to consider an assisted living facility for your loved ones.

 

 

Who Needs Nursing Homes

 

Basically, if a person has a particular type of disability required to have activities of daily living, then it is more than enough reason to keep him or her in a nursing home. However, an undeniable fact states that there are more disabilities in nursing homes in comparison to people living at home.

 

 

People with Mental and Physical Problems

 

Moreover, mental conditions have become more common aside from physical problems in nursing home residents. One of the most common is dementia, which is about 50-70% of residents.

 

 

Older Family Members

 

It is estimated that about 50% of the people living in nursing homes are 85 years of age or even older. In fact, seldom can you see residents who are younger than 65. In these statistics, most are women in which many of whom don’t have spouses.

 

 

Characteristics of Nursing Homes

 

Medical services are offered by these facilities to people who have undergone surgery, illness, or any other medical problems. In this case, older adults are given a higher level of care. This makes hospital stays shorter than usual. There are different services within nursing homes, which include the following.

 

  • Breathing treatments
  • Intravenous therapy and antibiotics
  • Orthopedic care
  • Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
  • Skilled nursing care
  • Support after surgery
  • Wound care

 

 

At the same time, residents are given nutritional counseling, recreational activities, and social work services. Moreover, they receive hospice care and respite care.

 

 

Choosing a Nursing Home

 

You might need help when looking for nursing homes. In this case, your healthcare professional or provider can give you recommendations through detailed information to help you compare various nursing homes.

 

 

Role of Families

 

Take note that nursing homes can often seem depressing and scary, and can even fill a sense of failure and betrayal for the incoming residents. That is why family involvement is essential to help their loved one transition to a new living facility.

 

 

This might seem unlikely for families to abandon their loved ones by putting them in nursing homes. On the contrary, lots of families support their loved ones. In fact, only a few of them are really without any family.

 

 

Nevertheless, family members are motivated to visit residents on a regular basis, as well as get involved in complete care of their older relatives. They can also give them company and help them with their basic activities of daily living. This is because they will be able to communicate with the needs of the residents better.

 

 

 

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

assisted living - richmont senior

Assisted Living: What Is Memory Care?

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It would be fair to discuss the difference between assisted living and memory care. It doesn’t mean that there is a fine line between these two terms, but it may seem appropriate to get familiar with them first.

 

 

Assisted Living

 

For seniors, assisted living provides them with help through daily life activities without compromising their independence. The residents would also enjoy the amenities and features as those in Independent Living facilities. However, there are additional features, such as personal care, laundry, and three meals a day with snacks.

 

 

The level of personal care given to meet the needs of the residents. Personal assistance includes bathing, grooming, dressing, medication, and many others. However, services for an assisted living facility might be increased or decreased in time or as necessary.

 

 

Memory Care

 

The term memory care refers to the specialized support for residents with Alzheimer’s or with related conditions. Most of these services provide assistance and sustaining care. Likewise, the program provides supportive health and personal care service for the whole day. This also includes the provision of care in a designed, therapeutic residential setting.

 

 

Comparison of Long-Term Care Cost

 

The comparison of costs in assisted living and memory care would be both subject to many of the same variables, such as the size of the room, shared space or not, services required, and geographic locations. However, costs would figure a bit different for both types of care.

 

 

Assisted living communities would generally charge a monthly rate basis. This would cover the room and board with 2 or 3 meals daily. In some facilities, they include housekeeping, laundry, and related services still in the base rate.

 

 

Memory care offered is specialized care and many other nursing services not found in other assisted living environments. However, the cost would be a bit higher. There might be some options though to help pay for senior care, as they can reduce the out-of-pocket price tag.

 

 

Additionally, it involves structured activities or programs that are designed to provide care for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If you are going to choose between the two service facilities, you should be considerate of the current condition of your loved ones.

 

 

For instance, if dementia or Alzheimer’s is not an immediate concern, and if your loved one would want independent care, then the excellent choice is assisted living. Memory care only is favorable when your loved ones require complex care with memory impairment. Take note that assisted living communities may also include a special care unit for people with dementia.

 

 

Basically, memory care facilities provide long-term care solutions for older adults suffering from memory loss. Such services would include a secure unit with staff trained to understand the needs of dementia patients.

 

 

Activities in Memory Care Facilities

 

  • Exercise and physical activities
  • Engaging in cognitive activities
  • Sensory activities
  • Making the most of the daily activities

 

 

You can rest assured that facilities offering memory care have added some computer-based, memory stimulating programs. This would show the evidence of helping the residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s to become more active via cognitive stimulation. Contact Richmont Senior Living today for more information.

 

 

 

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

Assisted Living

Senior Living: Finding the Right Community

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Sometimes finding the right senior living community for your loved ones can challenge your most important decisions in life. Well, there’s no need to fret because here are top elements that you can look into when assessing a senior living community.

 

 

You Need To Observe the Level of Cleanliness

 

You have to check if the community is fresh and clean, and so you have to look past just furnishings but into baseboards, corners, and windows as well. Part of this evaluation is the details in which maintenance is provided with its estimated response times. Laundry procedures also matter, so don’t forget to ask about specifics regarding its availability and cost.

 

 

You might encounter odors around the property, which can be an indication that they lack the cleanliness or it may just be a temporary problem. If you have observed this, however, around the community, then it is part of a bigger problem. You can ask authorities on what might have been causing the problem.

 

 

Visit during Activities

 

If you go on tour to a senior living facility, you can schedule it in conjunction with their community activities. You may have to ask the manager if you can observe some of the activities or even participate. You can then see if such activities or events are well attended or not.

 

 

You may also ask further questions regarding the calendar of events, which might also coincide with the interests of your loved ones. Find out if they include trips or outings to other locations, which could be important to you and your family.

 

 

Staff Friendliness

 

The positive attitude of the staff can have an impact on the senior facility. Ensure that you can observe this from staff when they interact with current residents. It is also important that they listen and make eye contact. You also have to get a good understanding of the staffing pattern. Part of this is the people who are actually involved in the care of the residents.

 

 

Take a Look at the Outdoor Areas

 

It is one of the most enjoyable experiences for the elderly to enjoy the nice sunny outdoors. You can include this in your tour of the outdoor areas available to residents. The area must be safe and secure so that the residents feel confident and at home. You can ask if the staff would utilize the same areas for their own personal breaks.

 

 

You Can Eat a Meal at the Facility

 

The dining room area is one of the very important experiences to seniors, as with most of the people. So when you visit the community, it is important to discuss entrée choices. Part of this venture is that you can learn about the hours for dining, procedures, and options that they may have.

 

 

You can share a meal with your loved one and enjoy the accommodations offered. This is one of the ways to enjoy the cuisine, as well as open up a great opportunity to meet some of the residents.

 

 

 

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco