You Are Not Putting Me In A Nursing Home!

By CarePatrol of Chicago Northshore

The terms assisted living community and nursing home are often used interchangeably.  It is not uncommon during a family meeting for a senior to tell their adult children who are exploring assisted living options that “you are not putting me in a nursing home!” There are important differences between an assisted living community and a long term skilled nursing facility. Nursing facilities are medical facilities. Assisted living (AL) communities may provide lower-level nursing type care, but more typically serve seniors that are higher functioning, and may need help with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing. This is usually done in a non-institutional community setting complete with restaurant-style meals, salons, fitness rooms, movie theaters, and a variety of social activities.

ALs play an important role in the continuum of care for seniors. They provide a lower-level care in a very positive environment that allows seniors to get the help they need while thriving in a comfortable environment. These communities have been hit hard by the Coronavirus scare, and find themselves battling media reports that focus on nursing home deaths.

Preventing the spread of the virus in a community setting is a real challenge. AL staff and caregivers follow all the CDC guidelines and state directives to combat the virus spread. They were amongst the first facilities to implement social distancing and limit contact with outside visitors and healthcare workers. While they may have suffered from the same shortages of PPE as hospitals and nursing homes, the caregivers are extremely dedicated to taking care of their residents. Many of them see their residents as family and will go above and beyond to protect them.

This is a difficult time for the senior living community, and ALs are rising to the challenge of keeping our seniors safe. We do not know how the virus will progress in the next few months.  We do know that assisted living communities are committed to keeping their residents safe and doing everything they can to stop the spread of the virus.

Care Patrol is here to assist you at no charge with any senior living questions and can help with respite stays, in-home care and assisted living arrangements. We will help you find the communities that have protocols in place to keep your loved ones safe. 

We are also here to bring you hope, because we know this industry, and nobody is better at helping seniors and their families than Care Patrol.

Please call if you need help finding care for a senior. You can reach us at 866-560-5656.