Assisted Living Des Moines: Premier Supportive Services
Over 20% of Des Moines' population is over the age of 60, making senior living communities a very important part of the city's landscape.
If you've got a loved one in their senior years, you've probably begun noticing small changes in how they live and act. Eventually, you may have the realization that they need more help with daily activities than you can provide for them. That's when it's time to seek out elder care services.
Finding the right assisted living in Des Moines can be an overwhelming endeavor. The only thing that matters is finding the right type of community that brings comfort to your loved one and also offers the services they need.
In today's post, we're going to explain what you should be looking for in supportive senior services and tell you what sets our Des Moines retirement community apart. Keep reading and navigate all the senior care options to find your loved one the perfect place to enjoy their life.
Consider Your Loved One's Needs
Before you can start searching for the perfect assisted living community, you need to consider your loved one's needs. There are a few different types of assisted living and which one you choose depends on the daily needs of the resident.
For example, senior living communities are typically reserved for healthy and active seniors who want a lower-maintenance lifestyle. These communities put focus on independent living and have plenty of amenities and activities to give residents a healthy social life.
Assisted living, on the other hand, is best for seniors who are having trouble maintaining a healthy quality of life at home. Perhaps there are mobility issues or other physical ailments that make running errands or maintaining a home difficult.
Then, you've got assisted living with memory care. This is a specialized form of assisted living geared toward those living with Alzheimer's and dementia. The communities are staffed with highly trained people who are qualified to handle the unique challenges that come with dementia.
So, think about what your loved one needs. If they're perfectly healthy, they'll be happiest in a retirement community. For those who have more challenging health issues or memory problems, assisted living and memory care are better options, respectively.
Touring Different Communities
Knowing what you're looking for in general is a great start. From there, you need to find a few local communities to tour with your loved one. Here are a few important tips on what to look for throughout this process.
Look at Ratings and Reviews
When you're starting your search, it can be overwhelming to see all of the options available to your loved one. The best way to whittle the selection down to the very best options is to look at ratings and reviews.
Type, "senior living Des Moines" into Google. From there, you can sift through reviews to read the good and the bad about different communities.
Believe it or not, it's the bad reviews that can tell you more about a given community. Read through them and look for any red flags that might eliminate a community from your search.
Location Matters
Location should always be a priority when searching for assisted living. You must find a nearby community to ease the transition for your loved one.
When the community is close to home, your loved one can still have familiar surroundings. It also makes it much easier for family and friends to come for visits, which is an important part of the transition into assisted living.
Staff Qualifications
When touring different communities, the most important thing to think about is the staff qualifications. Having staff members who are both highly trained and compassionate in their work will improve your loved one's quality of life.
This is especially true of both assisted living and memory care. With both, your loved one will be receiving daily help, so the staff must approach the work with compassion. Memory care, in particular, requires plenty of expertise in managing the unique issues that arise from Alzheimer's.
Amenities and Activities
The next thing to consider is what your loved one will be doing every day. The idea behind senior living communities is to provide elderly people with plenty of enjoyable activities that promote physical and mental health.
A good community will have a daily activity calendar to keep its residents occupied. Look at what's on the docket and determine whether or not these activities are going to engage your loved one. Some common activities at assisted living communities include things like walking, Tai Chi, puzzle club, and live entertainment.
Check out the community's amenities as well. The amenities that a given community offers its residents speak to the community's values. Match the amenities on offer to your loved one's interests.
Dining and Nutrition
The other side of healthy aging is nutrition. You need your loved one to get a healthy diet to maintain their physical and cognitive health. Getting a balanced diet is proven to boost heart, joint, and bone health.
Top communities have in-house dining with a rotating menu of delicious and nutritious meals that make it easy for residents to eat well. Rooms should also be equipped with full kitchens in the event your loved one would rather cook for themselves.
Safety and Security
Lastly, you need to assess the safety and security in the community. If your loved one has mobility issues, you'll want a community that offers accessible solutions to get around the grounds.
When you're talking about memory care, you have to be concerned about wandering. 6 in 10 people with Alzheimer's wander at least once in their lives. How a community combats this is an important consideration.
Assisted Living in Des Moines
These are some of the things to think about when looking at assisted living in Des Moines. Transitioning into senior care can be overwhelming, but if you do your due diligence beforehand, it can go relatively smoothly.
For those in Des Moines, the best choice for assisted living and memory care is Addington Place of Des Moines. To take a tour of our amazing community with your loved one, contact us today.