How Much Medical Support Could a Senior Receive at Assisted Living?

January 31, 2022 by ·

There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to assisted living and elder care. Some people conflate assisted living with other facility style care options, but a quality assisted living community should stand apart from all others. The key question, though, that many family members and other loved ones have when contemplating discussing assisted living with their aging parent, grandparent, spouse, or close friend is just how much medical support they might receive at one of these communities.

Many assisted living facilities accommodate significant medical needs.

Assisted Living Mobile, AL: Medical Support

This doesn’t mean all assisted living facilities are the same or that all of them will provide around-the-clock medical attention and care for their residents. What it does mean, though, is that there are often plenty of staff able to support seniors and provide the direct medical attention he or she may need at different times.

What if somebody is bedridden and requires constant monitoring, changing, cleaning, changing IVs, and so forth? Would an assisted living facility be an ideal situation for this person?

In most cases, the answer would simply be no. This individual would be better suited for a different type of facility style care, somewhere surrounded by nurses and doctors who can monitor their health, administer medications, check vital stats, and so forth on a regular basis.

However, for somebody who may need some assistance getting out of bed, who has trouble sometimes getting onto and back up from the toilet, who may need medication given to them because they struggle to keep track of what they’re supposed to take and when, a quality assisted living facility might just be the answer they have been looking for.

What about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia?

For this, an individual should be encouraged to look for memory care facilities. A memory care assisted living facility will be staffed with professionals who have extensive experience supporting other seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

That means they understand how the disease will progress, what the senior will require as things move forward, and how best to offer them a safe, comfortable environment while they age.

Research each assisted living facility directly.

There is no excuse in this day and age of information at our fingertips to not have certain questions answered. Never make assumptions when it comes to assisted living or any other type of elder care. You can read a great deal online, but nothing is going to replace that one-on-one conversation you may have with an administrator at a specific assisted living facility.

Reach out and contact somebody at a facility you or the senior might be interested in and ask pointed questions that will help you decide whether the senior in your life needs more direct medical attention or that community is going to be optimal for them in the future.

Many seniors enjoy activities, friendships, and peace of mind when they choose assisted living, even if they still require intermittent or regular medical care.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Mobile, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

Filed Under: Assisted Living · Tagged: ,
About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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