It wasn’t long ago that a Seattle senior and his son came to the Concierge Care Advisors looking for Assisted Living. They had done some moderate research and understood that Assisted Living provided minor- to moderate care for elderly persons.
Their biggest concern wasn’t if the elder would receive enough care, but if there were enough activities and events to keep the elder occupied.
This is a fairly frequent concern – not far off from cost – since most people think “retirement home” or “nursing home” and immediately think they are restricted to the homes’ schedules. This certainly isn’t the case, especially with Assisted Living.
Of course, the father and son knew Assisted Living provided freedom, but the question was, “freedom to do what?”
Assisted Living Activities and Events
First of all, this form of senior housing is great for elders who don’t require a lot of care since the staff allows the elders to come and go from the community as they please.
When elders are checked into such homes (usually styled like apartments), they go over what they need help with, i.e. managing medications, shopping for groceries, or cooking, etc., and then that’s what the nurses and fellow caregivers supply. Because this allows for a lot of free time and freedom, seniors want to know just what they can do.
On campus, these senior living apartments tend to have numerous dances, holiday parties, and of course the typical gaming events like Bingo, but also more modern-age competitions like Wii Sports.
Plus, in the commons area, there’s no shortage of games and puzzles.
However, perhaps the most enticing perk is one that many overlook and you won’t hear about until you start reading into it. Many (read most) Assisted Living facilities have a car service to take elders from the senior living community to various locations. This ranges from necessities like religious practices, grocery stores, and shopping centers to the more niche, like multi-day camping trips, concerts, and more.
Assisted Living is often the most sought elderly community because it is so flexible with its care. If an elder simply doesn’t feel comfortable driving anymore, they can move into one of these centers and have a driving service provided.
Associations like NCAL have even run research studies that claim the residents of said senior living communities enlist because they need help managing their medications, as some seniors have as many as 7 medications to take daily.
A Happy Home
The father and son duo did decide on an assisted living apartment home. It was definitely the best option for the father since he wanted a wealth of activities and events to take part in but at minimal cost. Of course, there were several in Seattle that met his criteria and we made touring appointments with each of them.
There was much deliberation as each of the senior living apartments exceeded their expectations, causing them to really weigh the three good choices against one another. Eventually, they came to a conclusion and the father is happily residing in a Seattle Assisted Living home.
