Posted: August 27, 2020
The short answer: yes. An assisted living community can provide significant advantages to older adults who are feeling isolated and would benefit from extra support with activities of daily living or families who are struggling with caregiver burnout.
You are definitely an expert when it comes to knowing your loved one. However, you may not be trained and educated on taking care of them. The staff and administrators at assisted living communities have extensive backgrounds in the type of work needed to make sure your loved one feels at home while also receiving the best possible care.
Additionally, staff in assisted living communities have had months of training and experience in creating a safe environment during the pandemic. There is no doubt you are trying as hard as you can to do the same, but you do not have the same resources. At Cappella of Grand Junction, our clinical teams receive daily briefings from government and health professionals and are able to keep residents informed with accurate, up-to-date information. These teams can adapt that information into evolving protocols and procedures, and provide immediate training to team members. You can rest assured knowing your loved one is receiving the best care available.
Take the Assessment to determine your loved one’s level of care
Caretakers Have Less Chance of Being Exposed
If you or other family members have been taking care of your loved one, it is safe to say that is not your only responsibility. You may be working from home, but you still have to leave and risk exposure occasionally. While the virus may not affect you terribly, you could still pass it along to your loved one even if you are trying to be careful.
At Cappella of Grand Junction, we continue to implement rigorous virus sanitizing protocols daily. The county health department continues to direct our actions. Residents’ temperatures are taken twice daily and the team is vigilantly monitoring all signs and symptoms for everyone who lives and works in our community. You can read more about how we are keeping residents and team members safe here.
Social distancing has been difficult for everyone, introverts and extroverts alike. Older adults were already at a higher risk of experiencing loneliness and isolation pre-pandemic, and that risk has only risen in the last few months. You want your loved one to get what they need, especially socially. It can be difficult to do that safely right now if they live alone.
Some older adults rely on restaurants and do not cook for themselves. While restrictions have eased in many areas of the country, some elders may not feel comfortable going out to eat. In an assisted living community, residents have access three chef-planned meals every day. Housekeeping and linen service, medication management, transportation to medical appointments are all part of the services and amenities your loved one will receive at Cappella of Grand Junction.
A neighborhood of potential friends is part of an assisted living community. At Cappella of Grand Junction, our goal is to strike balances between the crucial need to maintain physical health with mental health leading to happiness. Our philosophy in serving older adults is designed to encourage growth, passion, and enthusiasm for all of life’s promises and possibilities, regardless of age or individual ability.
During this unprecedented time, our Life Enrichment team is finding creative ways to keep residents active while keeping them safe, as well as keeping residents connected with their families in ways that feel fulfilling, but without the fear that you might expose them to the virus.
Ultimately, the pandemic should not affect your decision to move or not move. However, it should affect how you move.
In other words, if you would consider moving your loved one to an assisted living community before the pandemic, or would be considering it, then odds are you should still be considering this now. You just need to consider if the older adult in your life would feel safer and more supported in an assisted living community.
We are here to help you navigate this important decision. Learn more about what our unique community has to offer and check out our Assisted Living Floor Plans. Contact us with your questions or to schedule a virtual tour.
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