You may be asking yourself, “What is Residential Assisted Living?” Well, simply put, it is a home-based environment that provides a personalized experience and care to its residents. This boutique option is meant to simplify and extend the overall goal of aging in place. Here are a few advantages of this style of care:
- A smaller home means less traffic.
The harsh reality today is that, in light of Coronavirus, more people congregating in enclosed spaces is proving to have devastating consequences. What about seniors in assisted living? There are many types of assisted living options available, but what is the most beneficial for seniors, and what is best for their health and safety?
Residential assisted living provides care and assistance to seniors in a small, home-like environment. Instead of 50 or even 100 seniors in a large facility filled with nurses, care staff, and countless other support staff coming and going, residential assisted living homes primarily have around a dozen residents with a couple caregivers and a manager. The numbers are clear, less traffic = less exposure.
- A smaller home can deliver higher quality.
With less residents to take care of, it is much easier to focus on all aspects of quality and care. This is achieved by a higher caregiver to resident ratio. Meaning there are more caregivers per residents. Smaller homes are usually in the range of 1 caregiver per 3 – 6 residents (1: 3-6). In facilities that are bigger, the ratios are normally much lower (1 caregiver: 12 – 25 residents). In the event of a fall, who do you think has a better chance of responding first? And while we’re on the subject of falls…
- The risk of falls is statistically lower.
A 2016 study by the CDC shows that the residents of smaller assisted living homes (between 4 and 25 residents) experience a much lower percentage of falls than larger facilities do. The percentage of falls was about 12% in the smaller communities, but it increased to 24% in facilities with more than 50 residents. That is twice as much! According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.
- Residents have more freedom and influence.
It is so much easier to be heard when you are not competing with hundreds of other voices and opinions. In smaller settings, personal preferences are absolutely encouraged for meals, activities, entertainment and so on. Why compromise?
These are just a few of the things that make residential assisted living so special. Please reach out to us here if you or your loved one would like to learn more.