6 FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

An assisted living facility in Denver, Colorado can be the ideal living environment for a senior who needs minor assistance with some daily functions, but who also does relatively well handling most responsibilities. Your loved one might currently enjoy a fully independent lifestyle, but what happens when one day your loved one requires a little bit of assistance with daily tasks?

When the time comes to make the transition for a loved one into a senior living arrangement, what factors should you consider before making this important life decision? 

We present six factors to consider before choosing an assisted living facility in Denver.

Location

Proximity is important for both you and your loved one. You want to remain within close range to make visits much easier to schedule. Location matters when it comes to personal safety and security as well. In addition to lifestyle issues, location also matters because of local laws that concern the operation of retirement communities. For instance, some states limit the amount of medical care provided to residents of retirement communities.

Staff-to-Resident Ratio

Learning how many beds retirement communities in Denver have tells only a part of the story. You also should find out how many caregivers work at an assisted living facility in Denver, which helps you calculate the staff-to-resident ratio. A senior living center in Denver with an insufficient number of caregivers indicates your loved one might not receive the quality of care you expect from a facility.

Moreover, you want the caregivers watching over your loved one to possess proper accreditations.

Services

The delivery of services at an assisted living center is typically based on supply and demand. However, you want to ensure a facility offers a comprehensive list of services to keep your loved one both busy and healthy. Standard services for highly-rated senior retirement communities in Denver include dining, wellness, and housekeeping. Your loved one might require more specialized services such as healthcare for conditions like diabetes and memory loss.

Activities

The more active your loved one stays, the more likely your loved one sustains vibrant mental and physical health. Make sure to review the activities calendar published by every assisted living facility on your shortlist of candidates. Some of the more common types of activities for seniors include games, social events, and day trips to nearby Denver points of interest.

Cost

Cost should not be the defining factor that molds your decision on an assisted living facility. However, you might face financial restrictions that limit your options. For example, Medicaid recipients have limited options due to financial constraints. The payment arrangement also matters, as you might be able to afford a senior living center that offers the option of monthly payments, but not one that charges on an annual basis.

Lifestyle Transitions

Minimal assisted living needs can quickly change into much more attention paid to the quality of life enjoyed by your loved one. This means you should consider one of the senior retirement communities in Denver that offer lifestyle transitions. For example, if your loved one requires memory care services, it is much easier to provide the services staying at the same assisted living facility in Denver.

MorningStar at Observatory Park provides a seamless transition for residents who need to make lifestyle changes. Our three lifestyle options include independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Learn more about one of the best retirement communities in Denver by scheduling a tour today.

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

One of the most important reasons to encourage a loved one to move into a senior living center in Everett, Washington is to ensure your loved one receives the best medical care. From participating in heart-healthy activities to interacting with fellow residents, an assisted living facility near Arlington can help a loved one achieve and maintain robust mental and physical health. One of the focus areas for our team of healthcare providers concerns the development of the common senior ailment called osteoporosis.

The development of osteoporosis causes bones to lose strength to the point where they become highly vulnerable to damage. Even mild stress such as coughing can trigger an event that damages a bone or set of bones. Bones develop by constantly breaking down and then replacing the old living tissue with new living tissue. When the bone mass replacement process does not keep pace with the breaking down process, you might have to deal with osteoporosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis shows several signs of development. One common symptom is experiencing back pain, which is triggered by a broken or collapsed bone located in the spine. Losing height over time can indicate the development of osteoporosis that can be detected if you or someone else notices you have started walking with a stooped posture. Breaking a bone due to something as benign as bending over to tie your shoes also is a symptom of osteoporosis.

We encourage every resident at our assisted living center in Lynnwood to discuss how to detect the development of osteoporosis with one of our licensed caretakers.

What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Osteoporosis?

One common risk factor associated with the development of osteoporosis concerns aging. The older we get, the greater the risk of experiencing one or more signs of the disease. Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis symptoms than men, and the disease is more commonly found in Asian and Caucasian women. Both men and women who carry smaller body frames are at a higher risk because there is less bone mass to work with as they grow older. Finally, family history plays a role in the incidence of osteoporosis as well.

How Can I Prevent the Development of Osteoporosis?

As with most other types of medical conditions, regular exercise and following a nutritious diet can help stave off the symptoms of osteoporosis. Calcium represents a vital mineral for your body to process because of its ability to strengthen bone mass. Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 require 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, but that amount increases to 1,200 milligrams a day when women turn 50 and men turn 70. Ample sources of calcium include soy products like tofu and dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient because it enhances the ability of the body to absorb calcium. You might meet the minimum daily requirement for ingesting calcium, but it is not enough because your body does not process enough vitamin D. You can receive ample vitamin D by exposure to sunlight, but you also should supplement the natural source with food sources like canned salmon and fortified milk. Taking a supplement should help you achieve the daily minimum requirement for vitamin D. Most people require at least 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day, but that recommendation increases for everyone who reaches 70 years old.

At our senior living center in Everett, WA, caregivers emphasize helping our residents prevent the development of common diseases such as osteoporosis. Discover why your loved one will be in good hands at MorningStar at Silver Lake by scheduling a tour with one of our resident services specialists.