Many experts agree that finding Assisted Living In Haltom, TX is much easier with a spouse. As long as their needs are comparable, moving as a couple will make getting settled in easier as they will have each other’s emotional support and companionship.
Residential Options and Upgrades
The first thing that couples will want to consider is the residential options and floor plans. Accommodations typically include apartments and suites, with upgrades such as gardens, cooking area, sit down showers and stunning panoramic views. At minimum, most couples will want a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment and some will also want a full condo with shared rooms.
Planning for Future Arrangements
The day may come when a resident and or their significant other might need greater care than an assisted living community can provide. At this point, the best solution would be to relocate them into a different wing within that same community, that way they can receive more advanced services such as memory care or skilled nursing. The final choice should be made by the couple when possible, and if necessary one person might stay in normal assisted living while the other will become part of skilled nursing. Both would still be able to spend much of the day together.
The Importance of Pre-Screening and Assessment
Quality retirement communities will always conduct pre-screening and assessments prior to accepting new couples as residents. Such evaluations will determine their current state of health and the extent of care which is needed. Additionally, after becoming members of the community new resident couples will be revaluated every thirty days or within 6 month intervals to determine the following:
- Do they manifest behaviors which could harm themselves and others?
- Have they become immobilized or bed bound?
- Do they require multiple persons to help them with basic living activities?
- Do they need medication for chemical restraint?
The answers to these questions will provide the framework which will allow providers to better care for their residents.
Personal Care and Dietary Needs Checklist
An additional checklist of personal care and dietary needs include things such as finger and toenail care, dental hygiene, bathing, shaving, and bowel and bladder control with ostomy or catheter usage. For dietary needs, resident couples will need to eat a certain number of meals per day which should be both delicious and nutritious. Those with advanced health conditions might require a specialized diet and in some cases might even need assistance with swallowing and chewing.
Housekeeping and Mobility
All resident couples will require weekly housekeeping and mobility. Their kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms must be cleaned and their clothes must also be washed with trash emptied. Typical mobility options which are provided by retirement communities include transfers from and to bed, movements in wheelchairs, and automotive transportation off site and safe evacuation procedures.
Finally, the mental and behavioral status of the couple must be carefully assessed. They should manifest good judgment with sociability and the capacity to recall important details from memory without adverse behaviors such as becoming confused or wandering off.
