Moving into assisted living communities can be scary for new residents. You can help ease these unnecessary fears by addressing the biggest myths about senior care facilities.
As every nursing care and assisted living facility owner knows, there are a lot of misconceptions about senior care. Unfortunately, these myths can often create resistance to entering a senior care community. The fact of the matter is that change is difficult, especially for elderly patients who are facing fears about health issues, independence, and adjustment to a new lifestyle. Debunking some of the myths can help families feel more at ease when they help a loved one move into your facility.
There are many options in senior assisted living. According to a study from Senior Living, those looking for post-retirement housing have a plethora of senior care options, including nursing facilities and specialized retirement communities. There are approximately 30,000 assisted living facilities in the United States alone. To provide the best care and draw in new residents, it’s important to offer an assisted living facility with a home-like environment, caring staff members, and a range of services to help alleviate resident and family concerns.
With the right approach, the move into this new phase of life can be an exciting and even hopeful moment for new residents. Many positives come with assisted living, including better access to care, less isolation, and even new friends.
Here are three of the most common myths about moving into assisted living so you can address the worries of incoming residents and their families.
3 Myths About the Transition to Assisted Living
1. The Myth: Moving into Assisted Living Means Saying Goodbye to Friends and Family
Unfortunately, assisted living facilities are often portrayed somewhere between hospitals and prisons (especially in the media), where visiting hours are severely limited. This inaccurate representation shines a bad light on the senior living industry and causes older adults to feel wary of the transition to assisted living homes.
Negative stereotypes showcase senior living home visits as uncomfortable, with cramped rooms, hard chairs, and no privacy whatsoever. There are visions of harsh staff, rigid rules, and patient needs that are overlooked.
In this type of environment, families would feel unwelcome, and visits would trickle down and eventually dry up as kids and grandkids fear the facility, leaving residents sad and alone. This common misconception makes families think twice about moving a parent to assisted living homes.
IT’S A MYTH!
The Truth
When a resident moves into assisted living, they often experience increased social interactions, less isolation, and ample visits from friends and family.
As most assisted living facility owners can attest, today’s senior care centers are fun and active communities that welcome outside visitors. It’s important to highlight the encouraged social engagements of your facility, including introducing prospective families to fellow residents, sharing the social activities schedule, and ensuring that new seniors feel a strong sense of community.
The senior housing market is growing, and the face of aging is changing. Today’s seniors are more active and outgoing, especially as the Baby Boomer generation ages into their senior years. Seniors want plenty of social opportunities, active lifestyles, and ample opportunities to retain their independence during their golden years. Many seek facilities with common rooms where they can host visitors, birthday parties, and other festivities.
Elderly assisted living residents want rooms and suites that feel homey and inviting. They’re seeking spaces that feel less like hospital rooms and more like private apartments. They want visitors to feel welcome at any time of the week and comfortable in their environment. It’s essential to remember these aspects as you design the space at your assisted living facility.
2. The Myth: Moving Into Assisted Living Means Giving Up Hobbies and Interests
When residents arrive with a lifetime of hobbies and interests, it’s important to celebrate these wonderful talents. Many seniors fear losing their passion or being forced to give up pets, exercise, gardening, and other personal endeavors when transitioning to assisted living.
There’s a popular belief that facility staff are only there to ensure the most basic needs of residents are addressed. The sad portrait of seniors gathered around a single TV in a crowded common room paints a picture that doesn’t appeal to today’s senior residents.
There’s also a myth that the only activities offered at senior living centers are old beat-up chessboards, puzzles with missing pieces, and boring craft classes. Seniors may feel like it’s grade school all over again. Of course, no one wants to make the transition to assisted living and give up the activities that inspire them.
IT’S A MYTH!
The Truth
Seniors who transition to assisted living communities will find ALL types of personal hobbies and interests are highly encouraged and nurtured.
It’s important to highlight how your assisted living community will help residents embrace their passions! This includes offering a wide variety of activities geared toward many different aptitudes and preferences. Fortunately, many facilities now know that residents who are engaged in creative activities live happier, longer, and healthier lives.
Recreational activities like fitness classes, gardening, cooking, and more keep seniors active and excited about moving into assisted living while destroying the most prevalent misconceptions about retirement communities. Offering out-of-the-ordinary activities like holistic health and wellness classes, intergenerational programs, book clubs, and even therapy animals and pets can improve a senior resident’s quality of life and give them a renewed sense of purpose.
Helping today’s seniors through the transition to assisted living means catering to the individual needs of your residents. Many seniors may even be interested in sharing their talents with residents with similar interests by teaching classes or working in groups. Since they have valuable knowledge and insight to offer on many topics, it’s wonderful to involve residents in the recreational program decisions. Your facility may even wish to partner with nearby schools and other organizations to help seniors connect with their community. These activities and interactions often allow other people the unique opportunity to learn from someone with a lifetime of experience.
3. The Myth: Moving into Assisted Living Means a Loss of Independence
One of the biggest myths about senior assisted living is that seniors have no control over their own lives, as if staff members tell residents when to get up, when to eat, and when to sleep. The idea that residents have no say in their daily activities once in a senior community is not true.
Many elderly individuals also believe the transition to assisted living means watching your savings account drain away while nobody comes to rescue you from a forced routine. The best years of life, which should be spent traveling, enjoying family, and exploring retirement, are instead spent locked away in a small room full of dingy pieces of furniture and medical equipment.
For seniors who value their independence, nothing could be more terrifying. This is an especially common myth for those who have undergone a health event and may be adjusting to physical or mental restrictions, chronic conditions, or disabilities. The struggle during years of hard work matters little if you end up handing over your autonomy.
IT’S A MYTH!
The Truth
Modern senior care facilities try to stay out of the residents’ lives as much as possible, only interceding when necessary or if requested to do so.
As senior living center owners know, senior care now embraces autonomy and encourages independent living for residents. Seniors moving into assisted living care can adopt a personal routine and create a schedule of social activities that work best for them.
Most modern facilities are structured more like apartments rather than hospitals, with private entrances and living spaces. These spaces may even be controlled by the residents alone and only entered by staff with the proper permissions or in an emergency. Residents may be able to bring some of their own furniture and wall hangings, and although the bathroom may be handicap accessible, there will still be privacy to enjoy a hot shower whenever they want.
Facilities are often run more like mini communities where seniors may shop at an on-site gift shop, get their nails done or hair styled, and even enjoy lunch at a café with the help of the facility’s transportation services.
While the fear of losing independence is undoubtedly a cause for concern among seniors, even residents with significant care needs still maintain relative autonomy. Modern technology informs caregivers about a resident’s condition without requiring 24-hour supervision and check-ins. Monitors can provide real-time updates to all concerned parties and still let a resident lead an independent life while taking advantage of rehabilitation services in a supportive environment.
Busting Myths About Senior Living Once and For All
Several myths surround the idea of what moving into assisted living facilities entail. Often, these myths prey upon the fears of lifestyle changes that residents will supposedly need to endure. Not only does this misinformation cause concern for seniors looking to embark on the next chapter of their lives, but it may prevent them from moving into assisted living until they experience an injury or health crisis.
The biggest concerns that facility owners must be sensitive to are isolation, loss of independence, and the feeling that residents may have to let go of their hobbies and passions. Working to make your facility a nurturing and social environment where seniors have plenty of options and control over their choices will ease the transition to assisted living and the stress on seniors and families.
Just as the personal care requirements of seniors are changing, so are assisted living requirements. Modern facilities should provide seniors with plenty of options, independence, and autonomy. Welcome visitors to your facility and embrace the individuality and personality of residents. Connect with your local community for outreach initiatives so seniors can connect with the greater community at large.
No matter our age or where we live, we can all discover new passions, contribute to the world around us, and enjoy our lives. Help residents and their families bust the common myths about moving into assisted living so they feel excited about their bright new future!
