The quality of life of the elderly that we see today is much different from a few decades ago. Most seniors today stay active as they enjoy their sunset years with confidence by living life on their terms.
However, there are times when some seniors may want to enjoy the community life that is offered by assisted living facility in Wisconsinto live life away from family but without losing touch with family.
When you are looking for several assisted living communities for senior members of your family, you may face an uphill task to choose the right one. You may experience a lot of confusion in determining the most suitable place.
Read on to learn about how you can make that task easy.
Feel the place
To assess whether the home is right for you, consider how you felt about the assisted living facility when you first visited it. Did you like the location and external appearance of the facility and did the interior decoration and ambiance appeal to you? How well the staff receives you on arrival is an indication of the level of hospitality you can expect which will provide you with the comforts of being at home.
The amount of warmth you experience interacting with staff and other members of the community will give you an idea of how well you can make yourself acceptable to others. The friendliness of the inmates and staff members is also a hint as to the extent of the hospitable life you can expect from the establishment.
If you see the happiness on the faces of community members, you can gain confidence from them.
Evaluate the physical features of the place
How much the physical characteristics of the facility appeal to you is a measure of how much the facility meets your expectations. Look at the floor plan to see how easily you can move around the floor without any resistance. Room layouts should be easy to follow and aisles and corridors wide enough to allow free movement even with walkers and wheelchairs.
Check that handrails are in place and that the carpeted floor has a non-slip surface to provide safety and support to elderly inmates during movement.
Cleanliness and hygiene of the premises should concern you and note what medical assistance is available.
Measuring service level
Gather information about the services offered and assess whether they cover scheduled or unscheduled needs. Understand that help is available for all your daily needs even though you may only need a few.
Ask about housekeeping support inmates receive and check if barber, beautician, pharmacy and physical therapy services are available on site.
If you are satisfied with your observations on the points above, make sure all the services and facilities offered appear in black and white in the form of a contract agreement.
Ryan Woodruff is working on her doctoral paper on the trend of assisted living facilities in Wisconsin. Her work requires visits to various assisted communities, and she recounts her experiences in a column she writes regularly. Ryan is a champion swimmer representing his country.
