Aging In Place – Senior Living Options
If you are considering a move, for yourself or someone you love, to memory care, assisted living or a senior living community it is important to consider services and supports that allow a person to Age in Place.
This is especially important for someone living with a neurodegenerative diagnosis like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s because a change in the environment can be unwanted and disruptive in many situations.
What is “Aging in Place”?
Aging in Place, literally means a person is allowed to continue to rent and live in the residence of their choice for as long as they are able to even as their health and need for hands-on assistance and/or medical oversight significantly change.
State to state senior living communities are regulated by laws that govern and require safety standards and resident health criteria which can make it possible to Age in Place.
When looking at senior living in Athens, Georgia be sure to ask about licensure and admissions criteria. This will help set proper expectations for future services and support that can be provided.
Important Questions
Physical abilities typically determine whether you or your loved one can remain in a community. This is due to building safety and assurance residents would be safe in case of an emergency. Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss these when you tour a community.
- Does the community offer personal hands-on care assistance?
- Does the community allow private duty care?
- Does the person need continuous medical oversight or clinical intervention?
- What are the limitations of the community’s medical services or affiliate clinical partnerships?
- Is the person ambulatory? This means they would be able to move independently or not without assistance.
- Is the community staff trained and are there supportive devices available if the person needs assistance in transferring from a sitting or reclining position?
- Is the person capable of self-preservation? Would they know what to do in case of an emergency with minimal guidance or direction?
One-to-One Support
Examples of valuable assistance that can prevent injury and improve daily functioning and quality of life for someone in an assisted living or memory care include:
- Bathing
- Shaving
- Brushing teeth
- Combing hair
- Toileting
- Dressing
- Eating
- Laundering
- Cleaning private living space
- Managing money
- Writing letters
- Shopping
- Using public transportation
- Making telephone calls
- Grooming
- Obtaining appointments
- Engaging in leisure, recreational or other activities
If you or your loved one requires additional support in any of these activities of daily living, it will be important to determine your goals and priorities.
Community Culture
Based on the type of support someone’s health condition requires, you will find a variety of senior living community approaches. Preventative and Health Maintenance
- Compensatory and Functional
- Curative and Restorative
- Comfort and Palliative
Some communities include services that help a person regain a degree of function and can include rehabilitation, provide special equipment, and even offer short temporary or recovery stays.
Maintaining Current Abilities
If you are looking for senior living in Athens that is proactive about helping you maintain your current abilities you will want to find out more about:
- Staff training
- Consistency in staff
- Specialized affiliate staff partners
- Health and wellbeing programs
- Functional and compensatory supports
Limited Abilities
Perhaps your health condition limits your physical or cognitive abilities. In that case, you would need a community that is proactive on your behalf and can provide and support you with:
- A consistent environment
- A predictable routine
- Trustworthy relationships
- Ongoing education
- Proactive communication
- 24/7 access to community leadership
Orchard at Athens is a new senior living community in Athens committed to changing the status quo of assisted living and memory care.
We specialize in a unique ability-based model of service that seeks to set each resident up for success to live with purpose and dignity no matter the health condition. We look forward to learning more about your needs and goals. Contact us today for a free consultation.
