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In your assisted living or retirement community there are a lot of amenities for residents that you may not know about. When you are looking for a place to retire, consider the assisted living communities that offer extra health services along with their regular services.
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Rehabilitation Services – Residents in a luxury assisted living community have access to physical therapists and skilled nurses to help them rehabilitate and recover after surgery or an injury. These in-house rehabilitation services can help you recover and get you back home faster. When you are participating daily, your recovery time will speed up and it’s a great deal easier when you are in an assisted living community.
Skilled Nursing – Having an RN on staff 24 hours a day is helpful when you live in an assisted living community. A skilled nurse can help with things from daily tasks to medical tasks. In an emergency situation when you have a skilled nurse on your floor they will be able to assess any issue with the experience needed. This is also valuable if you are starting a new medication and are not sure what to expect. Side effects you may not notice or be aware of, are clear to a trained, skilled nurse and they will be able to help.
Daily Assistance – Whether you need help with simple morning grooming or you need assistance with dressing, eating and getting around there are staff on call 24 hours a day to help. If you are in a wheelchair and need help navigating your community someone will be there to guide you from your home to any daily activities, meals, or appointments. Staff are also there to help with laundry, changing linens, and many of your other tasks that need little or more assistance.
Medication Management and Reminders – Some medications are once daily and others are three times a day, keeping them straight and making sure you take them on time can be a difficult task. There is a large staff on hand in an assisted living community to help remind you when to take each medication. They are also there to help with refills so you are always prepared for each day. If you need vital signs monitored as part of your medication monitoring there are nurses available to help track that with you and update your charts as needed. If your onsite RN notices changes they can help assist your physician by notifying them of any changes.
Nutrition Management – In a retirement or assisted living community you will have a chance to go over your regular diet with a nutritionist to see what, if any, changes need to be made to help you maintain your lifestyle. Simple additions or subtractions may help with medications and overall health. When you have a chance to consult with a nutritionist in your community you will also have the opportunity to build a relationship with them with results that are tremendously beneficial to your health.
In-house Checkups – A doctor or nurse practitioner checkup in your own home can, in some cases, be far better for you and your health. Sitting in a doctor's waiting room can take up your whole day. However when you have someone who can simply call on you in your home, or a wellness office in your community, it cuts down a great deal on exposure to illnesses like flu and pneumonia.
Appointment Advocate – Remembering everything the doctor said, as well as forming your own questions while considering your medical options can be difficult to do when you do not have someone else to bounce ideas off of. When you are in an assisted living community there are advocates that will attend your appointments with you, help guide you, and remember all of the information needed for your care or rehabilitation.
Open Communications – This is wonderful for all family members. Nurses, doctors and therapists will have an open line of communication with any family members you put on your list. When you share your health care management with family, it allows them to understand and assist with any questions on your behalf, giving you expert care and attention.
Assisted living communities provide many different health services for their residents to help you or your loved one stay active and maintain the same independence and mobility that they are accustomed to.
