Inspecting Safety at an Assisted Living Community (and How this Can Calm Your Worries)

April 14, 2015 by ·

Assisted Living in Pascagoula AL

You have been working at encouraging your aging father to consider assisted living as a viable option. He has been adamant for a long time that he wants to remain home as long as possible. Maybe you and other family members Assisted Living in Pascagoula ALhave been providing support for him, but you realize that you simply don’t have the kind of time to devote to his care that he requires.

Eventually you may be more pressed to encourage him to at least consider this option. Over time, most people will begin to accept their personal limitations and even those of their loved ones who may be trying to help them when they can. If your father has finally begun to come around to this way of thinking, realizing that assisted living very well might be the best option for him at this point in time, you also want to ensure his safety and security wherever he goes.

Safety is one of the most important aspects to any community living environment, whether you’re talking about independent living, assisted living, or even nursing home care. Assisted-living and nursing home care are completely different.   Below are a few tips that can help family members determine how safe an assisted living community is for their loved one.

Speak to the administrative staff.

Make an appointment and sit down with the administrators and discuss your concerns directly. They may very well be able to explain all of their safety policies and procedures that are in place, including various devices, hand railings, and other things that have been installed to improve safety throughout the residents.

Take a tour.

Take a tour of the facility and pay attention to the lighting of the entire facility, including corridors, stairwells, and rooms. Lighting is essential for ensuring safety. Poorly lit areas could be hazards if the senior has difficulty seeing clearly.  A tour will also provide you valuable insight into the quality of the elevators, stairwells, wheelchair ramps, and much more.

Speak to some of the residents.

When you get an opportunity to speak to some residents at an assisted living facility, you can certainly ask them about how safe they feel on a regular basis. They may feel confident in their safety because there are alarms on the exterior doors that can prevent people from wandering away, especially those with dementia.

The more focus you place on safety when it comes to assisted living, the more likely you’ll find the ideal place for your elderly father where he will take part in numerous activities, meet new people, and where you’ll know he is safe and sound.

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

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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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