The senior living industry is huge, which can make it overwhelming and frustrating to navigate at first. Though it is empowering for seniors to have a variety of care options to choose from, there still isn’t much clarity as to the differences between the solutions available. If you are beginning to explore senior living and believe that every community will be a stereotypical old folks home in Marietta, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn you are wrong. Today’s senior living communities include resort-like spaces, luxury amenities, personalized care, and engaging events for residents to enjoy.
Here’s what you need to know about senior living: Every community is unique and offers its own specialized lifestyle.
Senior Living Communities vs. Old Folks Homes
Most people can remember a grandparent or family member moving into a nursing home that provided 24-hour skilled nursing care in a hospital-like setting. Those admitted had little privacy, independence, or social engagement.
Senior living, which was first introduced in the early 1980s, flipped the script on senior care. These resort-like communities allow residents to live in private apartments and receive just enough personal care to maintain their independence. Just as importantly, senior living stresses social engagement and healthy aging.
The Solana East Cobb, for example, offers a theater and community living rooms, access to a wellness center with age- and ability-appropriate exercise and rehabilitation programs, and an engaged lifestyle program that strives to keep residents active and engaged.
By only providing care when needed and emphasizing healthy aging, senior living has dramatically reduced senior care costs. Today, the average monthly cost of senior living is nearly half what you'll pay for a nursing home in Marietta.
Benefits of Senior Living
Senior living communities are vibrant hubs of activity where residents can enjoy easy access to wellness resources, delicious meals, and new friendships with their neighbors. With these feelings of connection and support from trained caregivers right down the hall, residents experience peace of mind in addition to better overall wellness.
You or your loved one might benefit from services provided at senior living communities if daily household or personal care tasks are more challenging due to limited mobility or complex medical issues. Recent falls or emergency hospitalizations as well as expressed feelings of loneliness or poor nutrition could also be indicators that senior living is the best and healthiest option.
Touring Senior Living: Look for These Great Signs
Some senior living communities, such as The Solana East Cobb, offer both assisted living and dementia care. Assisted living is tailored to those who can live independently if they have help with daily activities of living, while dementia care provides a safe, secure environment and cognitive care for individuals with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
In addition to these options, look for these great signs during your tour:
- Personalized care plans to meet the changing and diverse needs of residents
- Programs that sound fun and interesting
- Delicious meals, snacks, and nutritional support
- Beautiful decor and well-maintained gardens and grounds
- Friendly and welcoming staff
Most importantly, look for a senior living option that feels warm, inviting, and homey. Everyone has different tastes and preferences; make sure to choose an option that speaks to you.
Next Steps
Understanding and exploring senior living options can be overwhelming. Fortunately, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. You can make a more confident decision by consulting with the experts. Senior living communities can provide resources, information, and tours to help answer all your questions.
At The Solana East Cobb, our team of expert caregivers provide assistance for residents in our assisted living and dementia care neighborhoods. Here, you’ll find that we are committed to providing personalized services and are dedicated to creating meaningful relationships — we call them deep connections — with those we serve. Our community is comfortable, beautiful, and far from institutional, and our team is ready to provide you or your loved one with the support they need to stay healthy and happy. Call us today to learn more or to schedule your personalized tour.
This post was updated in January 2021.
