How Safe Will Your Elderly Mother Be at Assisted Living?

May 7, 2019 by ·

It’s perfectly normal to worry about the safety of an aging parent or other individual in your life. As people get older, you understand they lose muscle mass, strength, and that can directly affect balance. If you are talking to your mother about assisted living or she has been mentioning it and you are trying to figure out if it’s the best option for her, one of your main concerns could involve her safety.

 

Could her safety be compromised or improved at assisted living?

Assisted Living Fairhope, AL: Assisted Living Safety

Assisted Living Fairhope, AL: Assisted Living Safety

First, this all depends on the assisted living facility itself. Not all assisted living communities are the same. Not all of them places the same priority on safety, community, activities, and other benefits.

You need to understand the kind of assisted living facility your mother is interested in moving to and how they promote safety. A quality assisted living facility will have rooms with grab bars, good lighting, and plenty of other physical benefits that improve safety for aging seniors who may have some compromised physical capabilities.

Also consider the staff at this assisted living community. Are they responsive? How much experience do they have helping elderly residents when they require assistance?

Second, consider your mother’s peccadilloes. In other words, if your mother has a tendency to shrug off advice, counsel, or even assistance, then is she really going to be that much safer at an assisted living community than living alone?

In most cases, yes, she will. Even though she may be reluctant to lean on somebody else for help, she will likely understand the true value and benefit it does offer.

How to talk about safety and assisted living with your mother.

Many adult children have a difficult time even discussing the prospect of their aging mother or father moving into assisted living with them. However, the more you know about it, the benefits it offers, and can answer questions, the easier it’s going to be for you to broach the topic.

If you have observed incidences, accidents, or mishaps or have direct knowledge of these things involving your mother, talk about them, but in a nonjudgmental way. Let her know you are simply concerned about her safety.

When she realizes she is not being attacked, but you are truly concerned about her safety as well as quality of life, she may be more open to the idea of listening about assisted living.

It is truly one of the best options for seniors who love the idea of community, staying active, and remaining safe.

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

Filed Under: Assisted Living Fairhope AL, Assisted Living Safety · 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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