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Learn 6 Things That Help Make An Assisted Living Facility Great

Not many folks look forward to the idea of an assisted living facility, but there come points in some lives where a person knows they need to live in such an environment, or you need to look for one for a loved one. In either case, you want the best one you can get. Keep reading to learn 6 things that help make an assisted living facility great:

1) Dental & Dentures:

We wanted to start with talking about the importance of your assisted living facility having connections with prominent dentists and periodontists nearby. As we get older, sometimes we may need to look into getting dental implants or dentures (partials or full dentures) as our teeth get weaker or even fall out. A great assisted living agency will have a referral network on hand to help you find the best implant dentist or periodontist for your needs.

2) Visitation options: Some assisted living facilities might have to restrict visitation times due to their own staffing and operations or even to be in compliance with local safety regulations. Having said that, no resident should ever be denied visitors when they show up, as keeping up relationships with their relatives and friends is paramount to their maintained health, wellness, and happiness. Reputable sources like The Senior List also talk about this.

3) A huge dining room: Seniors love a good meal as much as anyone, and so if they're still able to make it to the facility dining room, they should be allowed to have as much space as they want for as long as they want. They're not likely leaving the property every day, or even every week, and for some truly immobilized, mealtime might be the only time they leave their wing or room. A chance to see others can't be passed up. The dining room should be able to accommodate every resident at once, plus family and friends for peak weekend visitation times.

4) Athletics: Exercise is known to improve the quality of life of a person working out, their physical health, and even extend their life. Just because seniors might be winding down doesn't mean they're done. In fact, many retirees find a spark of life that stressed out career professionals and adults in younger stages of life just don't have the time and energy for. Having access to golf, tennis, track, swimming, walking paths, or many other sports activities is a must for those that want to stay independent and ambulatory as long as they possibly can.

5) Sensors and panic buttons: Anyone needing to live in an assisted living facility wants to be as independent as they can stay, but they're obviously not fully self-sufficient anymore. That means there might need to be things like safety bars in bathrooms, non-slip features, and fall-proof fixtures. Even bedrooms should have sensor mats letting staff know that someone is up and about, and panic buttons should be easily accessible everywhere so that residents can have some privacy but also easy access to help. You can learn more about senior medical alert systems at Consumer Reports.

6) Social activities: Anyone living into their golden years is likely to have children and even grandkids, but they are going to have their own lives. Spouses and siblings, unfortunately, might be passing away, as happens in the retirement age. Having friends and companionship is critical to the social health of any person of any age, especially now. A great assisted living facility is going to have group activities and events where residents can bond. For more on senior assisted living activities, check out caring.com.

 

Lifestyle

Now that you know 6 things that help make an assisted living facility great, you can have an easier time either choosing a facility for yourself or a loved one. A Place for Mom is also a great place to start looking.