So, what are assisted living communities in Oceanside, CA? What kind of services do they offer? And what are the reasons why your loved one should consider them? Here we lay out the facts:
Assisted Living Definition
Assisted living, aka congregate housing, domiciliary care, residential care, boarding home, adult congregate care, among other names. It’s intended for individuals who won’t need too much daily care. The care that’s given typically includes assistance with medicines or occasionally skilled nursing care.
Here are the facts about assisted living in the US:
- Presently, there are approximately 1.2 million people who live in residential care
- There are around 30,000 communities
- The average persona is an 80-year-old female with mobility who has transferred from private living to the facility and earns, on average, $30,000/year.
People who should probably not consider assisted living are people who require a wheelchair for getting around or who have an extreme cognitive impairment.
For those who are showing symptoms of wandering around, Alzheimer’s housing is a better option.
The average amount of time that a person spends in assisted living is 2 to 3 years. Afterward, they often move on to nursing homes. Other reasons for early discharge include:
- To go back home
- For hospitalization
- Money related problems
- To transfer to another assisted living community
Your Rights as a Resident in Assisted Living
Assisted living facilities help you to retain your independence for as long as possible. You’ll receive the following benefits in an assisted living community:
- greater autonomy
- feeling part of a community
- maintaining your dignity
- enjoying your privacy
- more safety
All of this means that if, for example, you’re temporarily disabled, then you’ll be able to stay in assisted living, or you’ll be invited back after the end of hospitalization. And even with a life-threatening condition, you should still be able to stay in the facility as long as the facility is still able to provide the ongoing care that you need. In most facilities, your rights include the following:
- The right to dignity: you should be treated with respect at all times
- The right to practice or abstain from religion as you see fit
- Protection from neglect and abuse
- The right to interact with people in and out of the facility
- Right to privacy
- All medical and health-related receipts belong to you and are given to you
- Residential council representation
- The right to personal possessions and retention
- Control over your own finances
What It’s Like Living In Residential Care
Those in assisted living often have their own private or semi-private living quarters, and these usually include a furnished (or unfurnished) bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen space. There are many different types of apartments available, including studio apartments, one-bedrooms, shared apartments, and dorm-style arrangements.
Facilities can vary state by state, but the baseline services usually include:
- 24-hour security
- Programs for health and wellness
- On-site arrangements for transportation
- Religious gatherings and social activities
- Laundry services (either personal or nonpersonal)
- Recreational activities offered for the assisted living community
- Housekeeping
- Room maintenance
- Medical services
- Medicine assistance
- Exercise room or activities
- Emergency phone dialing system in all areas (private and common)
- Educational opportunities and activities
- Common dining area offering three meals a day
- ADLs (assistance with daily living activities): bathing, meal assistance, dressing, etc.
Most assisted living facilities also work with home health agencies and hospice providers to provide hospice and health services to residents.
Regardless of what services are and aren’t included, though, the potential resident and their family members should receive a free orientation of the available services. Also, an assisted living services coordinator will likely help your loved one figure out which services they will need. Reevaluation will take place regularly so that services can be added or removed as required. An evaluation should be available to you at all times, and a copy of the evaluation should always be given to you for your records.
What Quality of Care can You Expect?
When you begin your search for assisted living facilities in Oceanside, CA, you’ll want to become familiar with the regulations governing the facilities in the area. This is because currently, there are no federal regulations. However, due to the rapid growth of these communities, many states are trying to usher in new regulations to meet the growing demand. As of right now, 2 out of 5 states have instituted assisted living licensure regulations, 1 out of 5 states have drafted or revised regulations, and twenty percent of them have studied assisted living.
When it comes to the quality of care specifically, it’s essential to do some research on the qualifications of the administrator, as well as of their contracted service providers. During your evaluation, look at factors such as these:
- A sufficient level of education
- Management capability that meets the requirements of the facility
- Experience in the area of assisted living
- Ongoing training to meet the physical and mental needs of residents
When looking at who is working at the facility, the number of staff and their level of training should correlate with the size of the assisted living community, the range of services being provided, and the unique needs (if any) of the residents there. The typical staff for an assisted living community will include:
- activity directors
- personal care attendants
- admins
- nurses
- nurse assistants
- health and wellness directors
- food service managers
Contracted employees may consist of:
- beauticians
- physicians
- dieticians
- physical therapists
- nutritionists
When you look at individual staff members, check for the following qualifications:
- Enough staff of each category to mee the 24 hour needs of residents
- Backup employees to meet any unexpected needs
- Enough help to assist family members of residents as well
- Well trained, educated, and skilled employees who can handle residents needs
If you’re looking for an assisted living community in Oceanside, CA, you’ll find no better than Ocean Hills Senior Living. Check us out today!