So, you’re considering assisted living as an option for someone you care about deeply. Congratulations on taking the first step, which we know at times can feel more like a leap. While it’s essential to understand what assisted living means and how it can be beneficial for that special person, it’s also important to know when it’s the right time to make that decision. Let’s explore—together—key reasons why now could be the right time.

Safe, Supportive Environment

There are many ways an assisted living community can ensure your loved one is healthy and happy. We’re here to help guide you through what you need to know. The first thing everyone wants is for the environment they’re in to be safe and supportive. As we all do, seniors want to maintain independence while simultaneously being provided help with things they might struggle with on their own.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Does your loved one need assistance with certain aspects of daily living?
• Is their current environment set up to prevent potential falls or accidents?
• If an accident were to occur, will they have the care and support they need?
• With winter here, will they be able to get around easily?
• How are they handling the COVID-19 pandemic? Do they need additional help to keep them safe?

This isn’t a pop quiz, so we’ll spill the beans: Assisted living communities offer solutions to all of these potential issues. By providing support for daily living and personal care, they can make sure your loved one retains their independence while ensuring their needs are met every day. They also have stringent COVID-19 protocols in place and stay up to date on all guidelines from the CDC and state and local health departments to keep your loved ones safe. Not only this, but they also provide transportation, so your loved one can get out and enjoy the world securely. Cool, right? And get this—they offer support to prevent potential accidents and ease the stress that comes if such an accident did occur.

Well-Being and Engagement

Now that we’ve covered the importance of making sure your loved one is in a safe, supportive environment, let’s jump into our next topic: providing them with opportunities to maintain and increase their sense of well-being. Who wants to sit inside all day? B-o-r-i-n-g! Your loved one needs both physical and mental activities to be at their best. From a physical perspective, daily fitness and physical therapy help keep them mobile and in the best possible shape to do the things they enjoy on a day-to-day basis. Taking physical well-being a step further, communities also make sure to offer healthy dining options that promote good nutrition day in and day out, so there’s no need to worry about grocery shopping!

When considering the mental well-being of your loved one, there are lots of ways to help keep them from feeling isolated or lonely—so many that we can’t even count them all on our fingers! Engagement within the community and regular socialization are essential. These allow for the creation of meaningful relationships between both residents and team members, which brings a sense of community, belonging, and identity. But once they’ve formed their squad, what’s there to do? That’s where making sure the amenities around them are top-notch comes into play. From spacious, well-designed suites to beautiful outdoor spaces and tons of events and social opportunities, everything is done to make sure residents genuinely love where they live.

Cost and Care

Last but certainly not least, we’re wrapping things up with two other factors to take into account when considering the move to assisted living: cost and care. Monitoring health conditions and assisting with medication can be both difficult and expensive when providing care yourself. But not to fear, assisted living can provide all of the care with expertise that is available 24/7, just like your favorite fast-food drive-thru that provides you fries on a cheat day (we’re not judging…we’re probably in the car behind you). And if you’re worried about the cost of moving into an assisted living community, know that because of all the day-to-day costs and unforeseen expenses of home care and maintenance, assisted living could be a better value for your money in the long run. Can we get a cha-ching?

So, if you’re thinking about whether or not now is the right time to seriously consider assisted living for your loved one, remember that your local assisted living community is here to help you make the best decision. You may not be able to predict what tomorrow will bring, but knowing that your loved one is safe, supported, and happy will certainly help!