Schedule a Tour Today!  

Assisted Living Community

How Assisted Living Improves a Senior Citizen’s Quality of Life

Preserving the quality of life for our older loved ones is a must. They’ve worked hard for decades to provide us with a comfortable life and the least we can do is to make sure that they have a chance to relax and have a good time in their advanced age and that’s something assisted living facilities can help with.

Confronting the reality that our elderly relatives can no longer live on their own is not pleasant, but it’s something we must do. Failing to do that could lead to our loved one having an accident and not receiving care right away. That’s a nightmarish scenario, and you can prevent it with the help of senior assisted living. 

Let’s talk more about what assisted living facilities can do so you can decide if they are right for your older loved ones.

What Is Assisted Living?

When you first pay a visit to an assisted living facility, the thing that may strike you right away is how closely it resembles a typical home. That’s not a mistake. Operators of assisted living facilities make it a point to replicate that feeling of home so that their residents always feel comfortable.

Assisted living centers are not completely similar to regular houses as they are usually larger. That’s because they often host more residents than a normal home.

Residents may also choose what kind of room they stay in if they opt to move into an assisted living facility.

The National Center for Assisted Living notes that prospective residents can find facilities that offer a variety of privacy-focused features. You can get a private room, with a private bathroom, and even a kitchenette.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money, some facilities also offer smaller rooms. Senior citizens that are fond of socializing throughout the day may be better suited to stay in shared rooms.

Trained workers are also present at assisted living centers. Most of the time, they are there to keep a distant watch over the facility’s residents. If a resident needs some special assistance, those workers can come in and lend a helping hand.

Is Assisted Living Right for Your Loved One?

As soon as you see an elderly relative struggling with some of their daily chores, thoughts of enrolling them into a facility may start to enter your mind. It’s not always that easy, though. 

We can sometimes forget that our loved ones still value their independence. If they feel as though they can take care of themselves, you will have a hard time convincing them otherwise.

The reason assisted living facilities are so helpful is because they can serve as a kind of compromise.

The facilities won’t take away your older relative’s independence. Your relative can still take up the activities he/she prefers and focus on them.

Many assisted living facilities do have designated times for meals, but often the individual residents can decide for themselves when they want to eat. They also have the choice of dining in the common area or enjoying their meal in their room.

Basically, the experience of staying at an assisted living facility should be a lot like being at home.

It’s not exactly like being at home, though.

If your loved one is home alone, they could be in serious danger if they slip and fall. They may also encounter health problems if they are having a hard time preparing meals or if they forget to take their medication at the right time.

By placing your loved one in the care of an assisted living center, you can put those worries to rest.

For those with older relatives who could benefit from having a watchful eye around but still want to live independently most of the time, an assisted living facility should be able to help.

What Services Are Provided by Assisted Living Facilities?

The main service provided by assisted living facilities is supervision. Incidents that seem minor to us can be dangerous if they involve senior citizens. Assisted living facilities will prevent those unfortunate incidents from taking place because they will keep a close watch over all the residents.

Assisted living centers also provide healthy meals to their residents. Imagining your loved one spending extended time inside the kitchen alone can be frightening because many things can go wrong in there. Thankfully, assisted living facilities will eliminate the need for that.

The workers at assisted living facilities will also take care of your loved one’s medication. That will ensure your loved one will not encounter any problems that stem from missing a dosage.

You can also rest easy knowing that your elderly relative will have help when it comes to doing their laundry or showering.

The laundry room and the bathroom can be dangerous locations for senior citizens because of how slippery they can be.  Your loved ones won’t need to spend time in those rooms alone if they stay in an assisted living facility. The workers at the facility can handle the laundry, and your loved one can request assistance to safely get in and out of the shower.

Additional services typically provided by these facilities include housekeeping, exercise assistance, and they may also give residents easier access to games.

How Can You Tell if an Assisted Living Facility Is Capable of Providing Excellent Service?

You obviously want nothing but the best for your elderly relative, and that means seeking out the finest assisted living facilities. To find that facility, WebMDrecommends checking if the establishment in question is licensed and if it insures personal property.

It’s also a good idea to check how the workers interact with the residents. See if they are friendly with the residents and if they show genuine concern for the people entrusted to them.

The facility itself should be accommodating and smartly designed. It should be equipped with features that will help residents get around safely while also not limiting their movement too much.

Look at how the facility is maintained as well. Facilities that are not clean can be dangerous.

If possible, try to see the residents. You should see if they are happy living there or if they are miserable. 

Take your time when picking out an assisted living facility. The choice you make can determine the level of comfort your loved one enjoys, and you owe it to them to get this decision right.

from our blog: "Assisted Living Versus Board and Care Homes"

Bethany Home is a state-licensed Elderly Assisted Living Facility. As the elderly care industry has many names and categories under which our services fall, here is a brief overview so that you understand what Bethany Homes can provide for your loved-one.

The main difference between an Assisted Living Community and a Board and Care Home or Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) is most often their size. Assisted Living Facilities tend to be larger and Board and Care Homes are usually smaller, providing care for usually 6 residents, in a non-institutional, residential home setting. Although both Assisted Living and Board and Care Homes provide the same assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), residents in the smaller Board and Care Homes benefit from having better staff-to-resident ratios than larger facilities. As a result, it is usual for the elderly to move from a larger Assisted Living environment to a smaller board and care home as their care level increases and they need more personal attention and assistance with activities of daily living.

So where does Bethany Homes fit in? Although Bethany Homes is an assisted living community, it is made up of smaller board and care home locations located throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Each location is a residential care home specifically designed to meet the needs of the elderly, without the feel of a large institutional setting. As a result, each of our residents benefit from the resources of a larger Assisted Living Community but also the attention to detail and familiarity that comes with each smaller location.

RELATIONSHIP-BASED CARE PROGRAM

INDIVIDUALIZED CARE PLANS are developed for each unique resident. With high staff-to-resident ratios, our RELATIONSHIP-BASED CARE PROGRAM provides each resident a piece of mind knowing that a familiar face is always there to help.

INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE PLANS INCLUDE

  • 24-Hour Care and Supervision Provided by Trained and Experienced Caregivers
  • Assistance with Bathing, Dressing, Personal Hygiene and Other Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
  • Mobility and Transferring Assistance
  • Monitoring of Safety
  • Medication Management
  • Home-Cooked Delicious and Nutritious Meals with Dietary Considerations
  • Well-Appointed Rooms with Comfortable Beds, Furniture, and Decorations
  • Housekeeping and Laundry Services
  • Continence Management
  • Night-Time Care
  • Daily Activities and Exercise
  • Travel Arrangements, Including Wheel-Chair Accessible Transportation for Doctor's Appointments and Outings
  • Support with Recovery After Hospitalization and Rehab
  • Assistance and Coordination with Physicians, Home Health Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupation Therapy, and Hospice Professionals
  • In-House Hair and Nail Services
  • Community Pets
  • Many Other Forms of Personalized Assistance

Schedule A Tour Today!

or Call us at: 925-443-6822

what others are saying

Bethany Home is a great home for my mother. The staff treats her like she is family, and I can rest assured that she is in great hands.Mary P.
My family and I are so pleased to know that our mother is well cared-for and safe at Bethany Home. The owners and caregivers show genuine concern for the residents and get to know them well. The home is always very clean, and attention is given to serving fresh foods. My mother especially likes the activities. I highly recommend Bethany Home for their individualized care.Linda L.
Bethany Home is a wonderful place for your loved one. They take the time to listen and always display a very caring and attentive attitude towards residents and their families!Liz J.
My sister and I believe our aging mother receives the most loving and compassionate care that she could possibly receive anywhere at her Bethany Home residence. We were fortunate to find such a wonderful facility and staff. We know she's in good hands, which puts our minds at ease.Kathleen J.
I had tried homes from hospital-like settings to very plush atmospheres. None gave my brother the personal care that Bethany Home gives him. When I first walked in to the house, it smelled clean, with the smell of fresh, homemade food. I was immediately greeted with a big smile from the caregivers. Meeting the management was delightful and validated the feeling of “home away from home” that I had when I first walked in. I’m a firm believer that an Angel was looking over my brother and me when I found Bethany Home. Mitra K.
We are grateful for your help in so quickly arranging things so that Dad could move in on very short notice. We are also grateful for the excellent and professional care provided for our father there. After Dad entered hospice care, the staff members were his most dedicated advocates, working with the hospice folks to make sure that Dad was comfortable and pain-free. That mattered a great deal to my family, and we are grateful. Bethany Home is a pleasant and cheerful place, and the staff sees to nice touches like cutting some of the beautiful roses so that there are pretty and fragrant flowers in the house. I would recommend Bethany Home without reservation. Jill Y.