By Shelby Thompson, Certified Concierge Care Advisor
Moving a parent or a loved one to an assisted living, memory care community, or an adult family home is a very emotional and stressful process, made even more so by the pandemic. Following is some information to keep in mind during this transition.
Many communities instituted a 14-day mandatory quarantine for all new residents in case of any Covid exposure risk. They’ll stay inside their room and receive only in-room services during this time.
- Most staff and residents of senior care communities are now vaccinated.
- A community with other similar residents close by, and planned activities will still provide more socialization than being isolated at home.
- They will also have access to onsite care support services that is more difficult to maintain if they’re home alone.
- If they own a home, then now is a great time to sell to earn the most funds to go towards the cost of senior living
- If you or your loved one does not feel comfortable going in and out of several different places to find the right community, most places now are equipped to do virtual tours to accommodate Covid-19 safety concerns.
- Most communities have learned from the initial lockdown protocols and are working to become more versed in different kinds of technology and virtual activities to minimize the effects of social isolation should the pandemic require more strict visitation guidelines for the long-term senior housing industry again.
- Masks are always encouraged, but communities can allow fully vaccinated individuals to be mask-less.
- Senior care communities are comprised of one of the most a-risk populations susceptible to Covid-19. It is important to consider what protocols a community has in place should there be a positive outbreak, such as do they have all the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), what are their testing protocols, how can they keep positive residents isolated?
- The scale of group activities or in-person communal dining is starting to grow, but as things change, all communities follow CDC guidelines in regard to things such as social distancing and hygienic recommendations, with the use of disposable plates and eating utensils to reduce the spread.
With care services, meal assistance, and increased socialization, you and your loved one will think. ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner!”
