Assisted living is a form of arrangement whereby people who are suffering from a disability of some sort can live in places where they receive help from trained professionals in the various activities of daily living, such as getting out of bed, getting cleaned up and dressed, and keeping their rooms in good order, as well as making sure that they are in good health. There are assisted living facilities (ALFs) throughout the country, and using them is in many cases not only a positive choice but a viable alternative to other forms of care, such as a retirement home, for which assisted living residents are typically too young. Here are ten good reasons to choose assisted living in Michigan.
1) Superior nutrition
No matter what your age, you always need to eat a balanced diet. At an ALF they go to the trouble to prepare healthy meals—not processed foods that only need to be heated in the microwave, which tend to be lacking in essential nutrients and have a high fat content.
2) Reliable transportation
The people who work for an ALF com provide reliable group transportation to and from places such as the shopping center and to special events held regularly by the community. They can also bring individuals to doctors’ appointments or to visits with their family.
3) Security
People who are less competent when it comes to watching out for themselves are generally safer in an ALF than they would be at home. The premises are equipped with security cameras and other measures to deter would-be criminals.
4) Constant care
When living in an ALF you are assured of receiving the amount and type of care that you need, when you need it. The people who provide this care are professionals who have had years of expert training and are available twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.
5) Activities
Like any place where people live in group settings, an assisted living facility provides activities that its members can take part in. There will typically be a lounge where people can sit and watch television together, read books and magazine, listen to the radio or play card or board games. The staff may also arrange sports activities, fitness programs or trips into the wilderness or to libraries or museums.
6) Pets allowed!
Many, if not most, ALFs allow their residents to bring their pets in with them as long as they clean up after them.
7) Less need to worry
When living in your own house or apartment, you have to constantly monitor the property in case something has gone wrong, such as a break in the wiring or the pipes. In an ALF, on the other hand, it is the owners of the business who take care of these things and if something should go wrong, they will have it fixed immediately.
8) Privacy and autonomy
ALFs have private apartments for each of their residents. Such an arrangement enables those who live there to have as much privacy as they need and to be as autonomous as possible even as the care that they need is being provided for them. This is a good thing because over the years people become attached to their “four-legged friends” and want to continue living with them.
9) Between independent living and the old folks’ home
Taking care of some people can be a great burden on family members, but an old folks’ home may not be necessary. Assisted living is the perfect compromise.
10) The social experience
ALFs can provide their members with a rich and rewarding social life. They can interact with each other and form new relationships that can make their lives happier and healthier.
It must be mentioned, before concluding, that some services that one would find in a retirement are not available at an ALF. You will seldom, for instance, find special medical monitoring equipment there. They will have a nursing staff, but they will not be continually available. On the other hand, nursing homes usually do not allow pets.
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