Senior Care Living Options to Consider
Windsor House tells adult child influencers how to evaluate care facilities.
When is the right time to evaluate options for your parent’s living situation? While some of you may have time to evaluate, in other situations you’re under pressure to make a quick decision.
Below are five important considerations to make when researching senior living care options.
What Level of Care is Required?
First, determine the level of care required for your aging parent. There are a wide range of senior living communities and care options available. Is it simply time to downsize, or does your parent require special care?
For example, if your parent is still independent, but you’re concerned with the general isolation and security, then an independent living or assisted living community is what you should seek for starters.
The purpose is to simplify and improve their lifestyle and also give you peace of mind that they are close to support and resources if needed.
If your parent is suffering from Alzheimer’s, then you’ll want to consider a memory care community.
There are assisted living and skilled nursing communities that provide secure memory care units with specially trained staff who specialize in providing care for those with dementia or other cognitive issues.
Visit the Community, in Addition to the Website
When searching for care options, starting with Google and finishing on-site at the community is the best way to evaluate senior living care options.
Google provides a good place to start, but it may not truly reflect the reality of our local market. Many national websites that only want to capture your email address in their database often rank at the top of the Google search results page.
Also, it’s good to verify that the community’s website actually reflects the day-to-day living environment.
Designing a fancy marketing website is far easier than delivering amazing care for your aging parents. Verify that the community is investing more in the care of your parents than a marketing website.
Does the Community Invest in Training the Staff?
As the child of an aging parent, not only do you want comfortable surroundings, you also want confidence that the staff of the community is well trained and able to handle many situations. Investing in ongoing training and continuing education is a way to combat retention issues.
A well-trained staff makes the experience much more positive for all involved. It’s good to learn about the community’s commitment to training and education.
Things to consider include: Does the staff receive training toward their state certification programs? Is there a training curriculum and do the courses help the staff provide the best care, and also move up the career ladder?
Does the community provide CPR training to anyone who wants it? Is there a crisis intervention plan in place? Is there a quality assurance program in place to meet regulatory standards?
These are all good questions to ask to confirm that the community has made investments to create a positive experience.
Community Awards and Recognition
Another important consideration is the recognition of the community by state bodies and senior living industry associations. This validation from certified and credible third parties, like the State Board of Health or the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) is a great way to verify the quality level of care provided. Also, Medicare.gov has the Nursing Home Compare webpage that contains detailed information about every certified nursing home in the country. This webpage contains quality of resident care and staffing information for more than 15,000 nursing homes around the country.
Locally Owned and Investing in the Community
Lastly, does the senior living community have a strong local presence and are they investing in the community? As you know, local businesses owned by local people tend to be more responsive to the needs of their customers. You bump into the owners in the supermarket and at church and the accountability is taken to heart.
Visit Us Today at Windsor House
In conclusion, the team at Windsor House hopes this information is helpful as you research options for your parent’s long-term care plan.If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at 330 545 1550 or visit WindsorHouseInc.com.
Windsor House Inc. is a family owned and operated health-care provider that has been serving residents of the Mahoning Valley for 60 years. The company owns and operates 12 nursing homes and five assisted living communities in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Visit WindsorHouseInc.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
The Scoop on Senior Living is sponsored editorial content produced by Windsor House.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
