Choosing the right assisted living facility can make a very big difference in the life of a senior person. In the opinion of many seniors, moving to senior living offered them chances to master new skills, hobbies and make new friendships, while getting the help they need. Quality dining, recreational activities, and access to the family should be considered while looking for senior living communities. However, it is also important to ensure that the senior living community can cater to the needs of your senior loved one, especially if the care needs may change.

 

Most assisted living communities in the country offer varying levels of care to their senior residents. The right levels of care ensure proper staffing and supervision and also ensure training the staff for the specific need of each resident. Most of the senior living communities identify the needs of a resident based on activities of daily living. These are daily tasks that a senior may need help with. The more help a resident needs, the more will be their level of care. Some of the important activities of daily living and the care needs associated with these activities are discussed below.

 

Bathing 

Bathing is an important activity that can help avoid many hygiene issues. Senior residents who can shower without help are at a lower level of care when compared to those who need the help of a caregiver to bathe. A person who needs help with shower set up, but can finish the rest of the task without help, can be in the middle level of care. Moreover, if a resident prefers to bathe more than two times per week, the level of care required will increase.

 

Dressing 

Dressing can be a difficult task even for otherwise independent seniors. Hooks and small buttons can be a problem for many seniors, as these need fine motor skills to handle. A senior who can dress independently will need only less care when compared to someone who needs physical help with dressing.

 

Toileting 

Toileting can include transferring to and from the toilet and all the continence and hygiene needs of the senior. Residents who are capable of managing the process independently will require only less care when compared to seniors who need more physical help. In addition, the toileting care levels can increase if the resident opts to have the assisted living community order incontinence products instead of getting the products on their own.