As your loved one ages, even simple tasks can become challenging. From getting around the house safely to remembering to take medication, there’s a lot to worry about when it comes to your parent getting older and living alone. How do you decide when living at home is no longer an option? And what alternative living options are best suited for your loved one?
There are a variety of senior living options that offer great benefits older adults can’t necessarily get from living at home, especially for those who need a helping hand to take on daily tasks.
Let’s break down the top benefits of assisted living vs. staying at home.
What is Senior Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a great senior living option for older adults who want to enjoy their independence, but maybe require a bit more hands-on support. Assisted living communities typically offer long-term housing, care and assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, using the toilet, dressing and other personal care tasks.
Many assisted living communities also provide services and amenities like chef-prepared dining, fitness classes, social activities and more.
Read more: 10 Questions to Ask a Potential Assisted Living Community
If your loved one requires some extra care, but also desires the freedom to live independently, assisted living may be the choice for you.
Top 4 Benefits of Senior Living
Senior living is just one option available to those seeking later-in-life care. So why choose senior living over other types of in-home care? Here are some of the key benefits of senior living communities and why you should choose assisted living vs. staying at home.
Independence Without Worry
Assisted living communities provide some personal care services for those who require a helping hand with simple, everyday tasks while simultaneously allowing residents to remain independent. Your loved one will have privacy and autonomy to make decisions about how and where they spend their time without risking their safety or wellbeing, which can happen when living at home unsupervised.
Residents of assisted living communities are free to come and go as they please, have visitors and generally live their lives as normally as they would at home. However, assisted living provides an extra layer of protection and support, so you don’t have to worry about your loved one risking their safety for the sake of independence. Common concerns for family members and caretakers is their loved one falling or injuring themselves at home, and not being able to get the help they need. With assisted living, you can breathe easy knowing your loved one is safe.
Personalized, Professional Care
In addition to independence and flexibility, one of the great benefits of senior living is personalized care. Assisted living communities like New Perspective’s offer just the right amount of support so residents can live stress-free.
Whether it’s help with household chores, personal care tasks, physical therapy or other types of support, assisted living communities offer tailored are plans for residents to ensure each person gets exactly what they need to thrive.
Socialization Opportunities
Not only do assisted living communities provide supervision and support, but they also offer recreational benefits as well. New Perspective, for example, provides assisted living residents with access to amenities such as housekeeping, transportation, concierge service and on-site dining.
Assisted living communities also typically offer socialization opportunities for residents to get to know one another and build a community of like-minded peers. Making friends usually gets tougher as you age, but joining a senior living community is a great way to meet new people and form lasting bonds through events like group outings, guest speakers, art classes, book clubs, movie nights, music, happy hours, fitness classes and more.
Healthier Relationships With Family Members
Another great benefit of assisted living vs. staying at home is the improvement of relationships between caretakers and their loved ones. Becoming a caretaker for an older adult is both physically and emotionally taxing, even though it’s something you want to be able to do for your loved one.
When your loved one joins an assisted living community, you get peace of mind knowing they’re being cared for in a healthy, safe environment. Having that weight lifted off your shoulders allows you to actually enjoy spending quality time with your loved one, instead of feeling burned out.
Read more: Supporting Your Loved One In Assisted Living
Learn More About Assisted Living at New Perspective
New Perspective’s assisted living communities provide residents with the support they need, without forcing them to compromise their freedom and independence. From personalized care plans, to amenities like housekeeping and chef-prepared dining, to social activities, your loved one will experience all the benefits of senior living that they can’t get staying at home. Contact New Perspective today to request more information about assisted living and find a community near you!