For many older people, assisted living is the best choice for them to carry on an independent life with some help. For some though, this decision can be very hard, and they may worry about living somewhere that feels like a hospital instead of a home. If you manage an assisted living centre, there are some ways you can help to make it feel like a real home to make your residents feel more comfortable and much happier.
Respect There May Be Challenges
Some of your retired residents may not be all that thrilled to be moving in. It’s important to respect that, and not push too hard to make them settle in. Gentle encouragement is always going to go down better than a forced approach with someone who is struggling with the transition.
Make Things Comfortable
Any shared spaces need to be as comfortable as possible. Avoid making the spaces feel sterile by using a company who can advise on the best architecture and decor, like aged-care construction experts. They can help you to create a space that is both functional and comfortable.
Think about what home comforts residents will appreciate in communal spaces. Invest in comfortable seating that is supportive, like quality recliners. Add in plenty of soft furnishings in relaxing colours, like blankets and cushions. Hang some cheerful artwork to brighten things up.
Allow Room For Personalisation
The best way to make a retirement home feel like an actual home is to allow space for your residents to bring in some comforts from their own home. While their own rooms are an obvious place for their own things to go, it can also help if there is somewhere in communal space for some personalisation too. Perhaps they could put their own scatter cushions on their favourite chair, or maybe you could create a space where residents could display their own photographs.
Choose Warm Colours
A lot of retirement homes use the same kind of colour palettes as hospitals, with blues and greens to make things feel calm and clean. This can make the place feel too sterile, and not like a place where people actually live. Instead, decorate with some warmer colours. Paint the walls in a warm neutral, like a warm shade of cream, and add in warm, cheery colours with other decor items. Yellow scatter cushions, paintings with oranges and yellows, and other warm notes all work very well. A warmer colour choice can make the home feel a lot cosier and more comfortable, instead of like a hospital.
Ask Your Residents
If you don’t think the space is quite working and don’t know why you could ask the people who live there what they think is missing. After all, they’re the ones spending the most time there and will know best what they need to make them feel comfortable and at home in the centre. Ask for feedback and follow up on what they’re asking for, whether they ask for better chairs in the main lounge or some different activities.
This worry has been creeping up on you slowly for a while now, and you knew the dreaded day would come when you’d have to start looking for options of care for your aging parent. It’s not a pleasant subject, but an important one nonetheless, and must be handled very carefully. If you’re working full-time, and your aging loved one has found themselves in need of more care urgently, you could be feeling immense pressure to find an answer. There are a few steps that can ease you in the direction most appropriate for you and your parent.
Assessment
The first step on finding appropriate care for your aging parent is seeking an assessed by a professional Aged Care Assessment Team. This determines how well your loved one could manage care on their own, or what degree of help they need. To do this, you must go to the My Aged Care website, and get in contact with them regarding consultation for your loved one, to become part of the Federal Government’s aged care system.
Care at Home
Many aging people continue to enjoy their home comforts, and the thought of moving from their sanctuary is a nightmare. For those who are assessed as safe to do so, your aging parent may be able to stay living at home, with the assistance of a care package – a team of caregivers caring for your loved one in their own home. Unfortunately, these care packages often come after a substantial wait – something you may not be in the position to allow for.
Respite Care
If you feel as though you are in need of care for your aging parent now, but are unsure about long-term, then respite care may be the answer. Respite care is usually care provided by an Aged Care facility for a short period. This gives time for other arrangements to be made if necessary, for your loved one to experience what an Aged Care facility is like, and to provide you with a chance to get everything in order in the comfort of knowing that they are safe and well looked after.
Aged Care Facility
An Aged Care facility is often for those who are assessed as unable to manage at home, even with a care package. There are fantastic Aged Care facilities around, enabling your aging parent a new sense of home, being well looked after and in the company of others in a similar situation. It’s an opportunity to be safe, secure and offers the valuable interaction that many aging people miss out on. While an Aged Care facility provides some great relief, it is something to be carefully considered beforehand, taking into account the desires of your loved one.
It’s important to stay calm and not to panic when faced with decision making for your aging parent. Make sure that you discuss their options with them, to keep them involved with the process. It is a daunting time for you, but quite possibly more worrying for your loved one. Having had the correct assessments for your loved one, you should have the right information to help you moved forward in the appropriate direction.