Assisted Living Facilities in Connecticut

There exist many options for your loved one in their old age when they can’t live alone anymore. Some people do not think that putting their loved one in a nursing home will suit their needs. Luckily, there are many options ranging from minimal assistance to full-time assistance. One option that might work for your loved one could include the assisted living facility. You can learn more about the assisted living facility here.

Assisted Living Facility

An assisted living facility is a different type of care provider than a nursing home. The people in these facilities usually do not require as much care as someone in a nursing home would. Therefore, if you find that your loved one is in between needing the assistance that a nursing home provides and that a home health aide provides, an assisted living home might be a good option. Assisted living helps those that need help performing everyday tasks. Some tasks include managing their medication, cooking, eating, bathing, and dressing.
An assisted living facility can provide assistance with these tasks and more by offering housing, health care, and supportive services. Some assisted living facilities have the means to help those that need special help. But, you should check to make sure that this is the case before sending a loved one to an assisted living facility.

Assisted Living Facility vs. Nursing Home

Based on the above description, you might think that an assisted living facility is just like a nursing home. While these options are similar, there are some distinct differences that you should understand. In general, residents of assisted living facilities tend to be more independent and physically healthy.
Most residents of assisted living facilities live in their own apartments and have the option of cooking and cleaning for themselves. In a nursing home, this independence is not available. This happens due to the fact that residents of nursing homes require more care. If your loved one needs extensive or specific assistance, a nursing home might be the right option. If your loved one needs some help but still maintains some independence, you should consider an assisted living facility instead.

Assisted Living Facility Abuse

Just as in nursing homes, assisted living facility residents can experience neglect or abuse. While many caregivers solely want to help your loved one, neglect or abuse can still happen, purposefully or accidentally.
In an assisted living facility, your loved one will have the freedom to do everyday tasks such as bathing, eating, cleaning, and other simple things they enjoy doing on their own. The facility will be there to help them based on how much assistance they need. Oftentimes, staff members are available to help with more complicated tasks such as moving furniture, administering medications, and other things that might be hard for an elderly person to do alone. Since an assisted living facility is run in a similar way as a nursing home, there is still the chance for neglect or abuse. The only major difference is that the residents have more freedom to do what they can still manage on their own. The employees in the assisted living facility can be just like an employee in a nursing home and still cause neglect or abuse to your loved one.
The abuse present in an assisted living facility can include:

• Physical- unwarranted physical harm.
• Sexual– nonconsensual sexual acts.
• Psychological– verbal assault, harassment, bullying, degradation.
• Financial– use of a resident’s money or property not permitted.
• Neglect- dehydration, malnourishment, rashes, sores, unkempt living quarters.

Each of these types of abuse can be seen in any kind of elderly care facility that you place your loved one. Finding a good assisted living facility will help you to make sure that your loved one will not be abused. You can ask the facility any questions before you decide to place your loved one there to make sure that they are going to be safe from any kind of harm.