First Visit to an Assisted Living Facility: What to Expect

Welcome to Sahabhaav!

Deciding to move your loved ones into an assisted living facility is a tough choice. However, for a good and healthy life for your loved ones, it’s a necessary step to take. With all the emotions, confusion, and questions, taking the first visit to assisted living can be the most important step, ensuring a smooth and healthy transition for your parents or loved ones.

At Sahabhaav, they understand how difficult it can be to decide on getting your parents or loved ones into an assisted living facility. With all the emotions bursting in your mind, let us guide you with some questions and affirmations that can help you with your first visit to an assisted living facility, that calm your nerves and let you make a decision that is best for your parents or loved ones. 

Importance of the First Visit to an Assisted Living Facility

A visit to an assisted living facility can help you with opportunities to understand and ensure your loved ones will be safe and cared for. The first visit to an assisted living facility helps you to get clarity over the plans and their accommodations, and allows you to get a tour of the place for you to check out every detail and ensure your parents can stay over. Here are some key facts to track during your visit:

• Check for cleanliness around the facility.
• Check for safety equipment and strategies.
• Observe the behaviour of staff and residents.
• Ask detailed questions about healthcare, activities, meals, and costs with the authorities.
• Make sure the environment is comfortable for your parents to move in.

Sahabhaav ensures a safe environment with all the safety measures, trained staff and nurses, emergency backup, fun activities, diet meals, preference to each individual, and offers an environment like home.

Preparing Yourself for Your First Visit to an Assisted Living Facility

Before you look for a facility that helps you look after your parents, you need to make sure everything is safe and comfortable. Choosing the right type of assisted living facility for your parents requires some guidance. Here are some things you need to consider on your visit to an assisted living facility before entrusting your parents to it:

• Basic Research on Assisted Living:

Before choosing an assisted living facility, you need to shortlist some living facilities on the grounds of some factors, such as: 

• Check the Location and nearby facilities that are within your reach.
• Availability of healthcare services.
• Affordable plan structure with transparency.
• Reviews and reputation of the facilities.

Above are some of the basic inquiries that will help you narrow down your choices and schedule visits with confidence.

• Consider your Parents’ Requirements: 

Every senior is unique and has preferences regarding their health conditions. Some require full medical support, while others might need assistance with daily activities, and there are some who want to grow away from isolation. Just take note of their desires and requirements:

• Medical conditions or disabilities
• Medication schedules
• Stiffness or unable to move
• Memory care or memory loss(Dementia)
• Foods they like and are healthy for their health.
• Interest in social activities and outings.

These are some of the information you need to keep in mind before choosing an assisted living facility.

Key Areas to Look for in Your First Visit to an Assisted Living

Here are some Key areas you need to look around before finalising an assisted living facility for your parents. 

1. Living Spaces

 

Here, you need to check for cleanliness and well-ventilated rooms. If rooms are allocated, then ac is working properly or not, and is the service phone or bells for calling out are working properly or not.

2. Staff Interaction

 

Check on their behaviour by monitoring their way they call out seniors, look for their attentiveness, and they are happy to help. Is there enough staff to look during different hours? Is everyone well-trained about the health conditions of the seniors?

3. Safety features

 

Look for grab bars, handrails, anti-skid floors, and emergency call buttons. And well-ventilated and well-lit hallways. Most importantly, are there facilities available for wheelchair users, like slopes or lifts?

4. Healthcare Services

 

Is there an in-house nurse or doctors with experience who can help during an emergency? How medication for different residents is managed without any mess? What emergency protocols are followed, and how do they take care of different seniors with different illnesses?

5. Activities and Social Life

 

Are there scheduled activities, hobbies attended, and social events? Is there a recreation area or outdoor space? How do they encourage seniors’ participation in activities to make them a part of the community and help them socialise?

6. Dining and nutrition

 

Check out whether meals are healthy or not, and do they maintain hygiene? Do they follow a particular diet? Can residents choose what they eat? What are dining arrangements and diet?

7. Community Environment

 

Do residents seem happy, engaged, and active? Is the environment peaceful and welcoming? Does it feel like a community or just a facility?

8. Finances

 

The most important part is about their plans. What does the base plan include, and how much does it cost? Are there any hidden costs? Is it affordable?

Choosing The Right Assisted Living Facility

Once you have reached and looked around assisted living facilities nearby, use these factors to compare:

• Quality of Care

Look for the quality of care the living facilities provide, such as:

• Seniors’ regular health check-ups.
• Personalised services according to their health condition.
• Trained and well-educated staff who are patient and kind.
• And a hygienic, nutritious meal for a healthy living.

 

• Resident Well-Being-

Check for seniors’ health and comfort, such as:

• How are they being treated?
• Are they able to open up to others?
• Do they feel comfortable in that environment?
• Are they socialising?
• Does it make them feel at home?
• Are they treated with respect?

 

• Safety-

Check out for safety first, like

• Do they have anti-skid floors?
• Do they have handrails?
• Do they have slopes and elevators for wheelchair users?
• Do they have well-lit areas for individuals with dementia?

• Plans and Costs-

Check out the prices and plans they offer. 

• Are they charging more?
• Do their plans cover all the areas required?
• Do they fit in your budget?

Mistakes to Avoid During Your First Visit

While visiting an assisted living facility, most people ignore basic things and overlook a lot of things that will affect their parents’ stay. Here are some common risks not to ignore:

• Not Asking Enough Questions – Mostly due to a generous attitude, people are hesitant to ask questions and often agree with what they are being told. Ask about everything, from policies and fees to emergency care; you need to be transparent about everything. It’s better to be sorry now rather than be disappointed in the future.
• Looks are not everything- A painted building, a beautiful lawn, and fancy chairs show quality, yet the focus should be on how compassionate and quality care they are providing. It makes sense to speak to a couple of residents whom you may meet during the guided tour of the facility. Hearing good things about the staff and facility brings a lot of confidence to you and reduces your anxiety!
• Ignoring Staff Behaviour- While you visit, you need to pay attention to how staff are interacting with the residents. Are they kind and patient? Pay attention to how staff interact with residents. Are they kind and patient? Look into the inside of the fancy faces.
• Forgetting Future Requirements- Choose a facility that can meet future medical concerns and help you with current ones. Don’t ignore the personal care requirements of your parents; that is necessary for them to settle down in the assisted living facility.

Preparing For Shifting Your Parents

Once you choose an assisted living facility, here comes the most difficult part. Now it’s time to prepare your parents and yourself to let them move to assisted living. No matter how emotionally draining it drains you apart, keep in mind that you are doing this for your parents’ safety, health, and peace of mind. Let them step into a new life for a happy life with less pain. Remember going to school for the first time? No matter how much you cried today, it’s worth it.

• Visit the new room in advance and plan out how to keep things. Try to keep things familiar at home so that they won’t feel awkward and get used to it.
• Pack their belongings with their consent and try to avoid unnecessary things. Don’t forget to pack those things that are near and dear to them, like a photo of God’s idol.
• Legal and Financial Documents must be kept safely, and an acknowledgment of the parents.

Lastly, go with them and help them settle down in an assisted living facility. Try to visit 2-4 times for a month and make a call every day; this will help you connect emotionally, making them feel wanted. Check on them at every other visit and ask how they are settling down, are they facing any problems? Ask if there are any other concerns that they may be too shy to share.

How often do you visit parents in assisted living? Are you also looking for an answer? Here are some answers to solve your confusion. Some assisted living facilities suggest visiting your parents 2-4 times per month can improve your emotional bond with your parents and help them to adjust sooner in the new environment. Click Here To Know

Sahabhaav is the Ultimate Choice

Sahabhaav is an assisted living facility that provides a home-like environment with a goal to provide seniors utmost care and help them live a life full of dignity and joy. They believe in treating seniors with respect and kindness; their staff and nurses are trained to be patient and caring. They offer

• Personalized care for each senior according to their individual needs. Experienced staff trained in geriatric care.
• Engaging activities like musical noons, mental wellness programs, and promoting a positive attitude towards life. They have yoga and physical therapy sessions and evening walks for a fresh breath of air. They also do outings for seniors once in a while to help seniors connect with the outside world.
• Serving nutritious and tasty meals according to diet instructions by treating doctors. Food is also prepared based on choices and cultural backgrounds of the residents.
• A secure, peaceful, and joyful environment for seniors promoting mental and physical health. This will help recover from many health problems like depression, dementia, arthritis, and many more.
• A safe environment with senior-friendly equipment like anti-skid floors, handrails in hallways and bathrooms, slopes for wheelchair users, cameras everywhere, emergency call buttons, well-lit areas, and well-ventilated halls.

While choosing an assisted living facility, Sahabhaav is one of the best assisted living facilities with all the measures, making your parents’ stay a memorable one. Their affordable prices and flexible plans with transparency add another reason to trust them with your parents’ care.

According to Studies, 9% of seniors are living in depression without anyone to help. Demand for Assisted Living has increased in the coming years, giving seniors a chance to live a better life. Click Here

Encourage a new Chapter with Confidence and Care.

When old age comes, it is much lonelier than ever, from weak bones to long-term illness, from everyday pain to isolation, everything becomes slow from before putting a lot of pressure on the mind and body. The memory of loved ones, the desire to live an independent life, and to become a part of life. They need support and love from the family. Due to busy schedules, not having enough education, or having a different mindset can lead to depression or feeling unheard. 

Help your loved ones by providing them with an environment that is prepared for taking care of them, where they can enjoy themselves with their colleagues who are of the same age and share similar experiences. Shift them to an assisted living facility where they will get all the facilities for their health care, physical activities, hobby sessions, movies, music, outings, walks, and everything will make them feel alive again. It will create a positive impact on their mind and body. Don’t let your loved ones suffer silently. Talk with your family, talk with your seniors who need support, and make a decision for a better, healthier life.

Schedule your visit to check out assisted living at Sahabhaav, and experience their caring atmosphere, help your loved ones embrace their new beginning with joy and dignity. Contact Today! Call 7777079797 or 9699696997!

FAQs about First Visit to an Assisted Living Facility

• What is an assisted living facility appropriate for?

Till about a decade ago, an Assisted Living Facility was only for senior citizens who were sick. An “old age home” seemed like a punishment to those living there. But today, things are changing slowly but surely. Even those who are quite fit and independent are willing to sign up and stay in community living for the elders, which may have sections of Independent living, Assisted living, Palliative care as well as those for Memory Loss and other mental health challenges.

But typically, Seniors who are unable to do their daily tasks due to stiffness in movements, dementia, depression, or other chronic illnesses or any dependency, need an assisted living facility to get the utmost care and attention and live a healthy life.

• What is an important aspect of an assisted living facility?

Three important and primary aspects of an assisted living facility are safety, cleanliness and nourishment.

The assisted living facilities should be equipped with safety equipment like handrails, bright lights, slopes or elevators, anti-skid floors, emergency call buttons, and many more.

The staff should be aware of how to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, even amongst the bed ridden residents.

The food served should be balanced meals and customized for those with special nutrient needs. Nevertheless, the meals served should be tasty so that the residents relish and enjoy the food.

• What is the best age to move to an assisted living facility?

The shift to assisted living depends on various factors like health conditions, lifestyle changes, and dependency over age, yet the age considered ideal for a shift is 60-65 years.