Assisted living options near me

Discussing Assisted Living Options with loved ones

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Deciding on the best care for our aging loved ones can be a difficult and emotionally charged process. As we seek to provide them with the best support and quality of life, it’s essential to explore all available options. In Atlanta, Georgia, Safehaven Personal Care Home (PCH) presents a variety of assisted living options tailored to meet the diverse needs of seniors. This article will guide you through the process of discussing assisted living with your loved ones, helping you make informed decisions that prioritize their well-being and happiness.

Understanding Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities are designed to support seniors who require help with daily activities but still wish to maintain a level of independence. These facilities offer a blend of housing, personalized support services, and healthcare. Residents can enjoy a community environment while receiving assistance with tasks such as bathing, dressing, and medication management.

Benefits of Assisted Living

Choosing an assisted living facility for your loved one comes with numerous benefits, including:

  • Social Interaction: Assisted living communities provide opportunities for seniors to engage with peers through various activities and events, reducing feelings of isolation.
  • Personalized Care: Staff members are trained to deliver care tailored to individual needs, ensuring residents receive the appropriate level of support.
  • Safety and Security: Facilities are equipped with safety features and round-the-clock support, offering peace of mind to both residents and their families.
  • Maintenance-Free Living: With housekeeping and meal services included, seniors can focus on enjoying their time without worrying about daily chores.

Starting the Conversation

Initiating a conversation about assisted living can be challenging. It’s essential to approach the topic with empathy and understanding, acknowledging your loved one’s feelings and concerns.

Tips for Effective Communication

  1. Choose the Right Time: Select a time when everyone is relaxed and open to discussion. Avoid bringing up the subject during stressful or emotional moments.
  2. Listen Actively: Encourage your loved one to express their thoughts and feelings. Listen without interrupting and validate their emotions.
  3. Be Informed: Research senior living options in Atlanta, including Safehaven PCH, to provide your loved one with accurate and comprehensive information.
  4. Highlight Benefits: Emphasize the positive aspects of assisted living, such as increased social opportunities and access to personalized care.
  5. Involve Them in Decision-Making: Allow your loved one to participate in the decision-making process, ensuring they feel empowered and respected.

Exploring Safehaven in Atlanta

Safehaven Personal Care Homes in Atlanta offers a welcoming environment for seniors seeking assisted living options. With a focus on providing compassionate care and promoting independence, Safehaven Personal Care Homes  is a trusted choice for families.

Services and Amenities

Safehaven provides a wide range of services and amenities designed to enhance the quality of life for its residents:

  • Comfortable Accommodations: Residents enjoy private or semi-private rooms, each thoughtfully designed to create a cozy and homelike atmosphere.
  • Nutritious Meals: The facility offers well-balanced meals prepared by professional chefs, catering to dietary preferences and restrictions.
  • Engaging Activities: A variety of recreational and social activities are available, encouraging residents to stay active and engaged.
  • Comprehensive Care: From medication management to assistance with daily tasks, Safehaven PCH ensures residents receive the care they need.

Community and Culture

Safehaven PCH prides itself on fostering a supportive community where residents can build meaningful connections. The facility organizes regular events and outings, enabling seniors to explore the vibrant city of Atlanta while enjoying the company of their peers.

Addressing Concerns and Misconceptions

When discussing assisted living, it’s crucial to address any concerns or misconceptions your loved one may have. Common worries include losing independence, adjusting to a new environment, or feeling isolated from family and friends.

Reassurance and Support

  • Emphasize Independence: Assure your loved one that assisted living is designed to support their independence, not hinder it.
  • Visit Together: Arrange visits to Safehaven PCH or other facilities to familiarize your loved one with the environment and staff.
  • Stay Connected: Discuss ways to maintain strong family connections, such as regular visits, phone calls, and video chats.

Making the Transition Smooth

Transitioning to assisted living can be an emotional experience. It’s essential to provide support and encouragement throughout the process, helping your loved one feel comfortable and confident in their new home.

Steps for a Seamless Transition

  1. Plan Ahead: Start the transition process early, allowing ample time for your loved one to adjust to the idea.
  2. Personalize Their Space: Encourage your loved one to bring personal items and decorations to make their new living space feel like home.
  3. Stay Involved: Continue to visit and participate in activities at the facility, reinforcing your commitment to their happiness and well-being.
  4. Be Patient: Understand that adjusting to a new environment takes time, and provide ongoing support as they settle in.

Discussing assisted living options with your loved ones is a significant step in ensuring their future well-being and happiness. By approaching the conversation with empathy, exploring facilities like Safehaven Brookhaven in Atlanta, and supporting them through the transition, you can make this process a positive experience for everyone involved.

By prioritizing their needs and involving them in the decision-making process, you can help your loved one embrace the benefits of assisted living and enjoy a fulfilling, enriched lifestyle.

What is Skilled Nursing and Does Your Loved One Need It?

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Skilled nursing refers to a type of medical care that is provided by licensed nurses and other healthcare professionals in a skilled nursing facility or in a patient’s home. Skilled nursing care is typically provided to individuals who require more intensive medical care and supervision than can be provided by a family member or home health aide.

Skilled nursing care may include a range of medical services, such as wound care, medication management, intravenous therapy, and other specialized treatments. Skilled nursing facilities may also provide rehabilitation services, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, to help patients recover from an illness or injury.

To receive skilled nursing care, individuals typically need a referral from a physician and may need to meet certain eligibility requirements, such as requiring a certain level of medical care or assistance with activities of daily living.

Skilled nursing care is typically recommended for individuals who require more intensive medical care and supervision than can be provided by a family member or home health aide. This may include individuals who have complex medical conditions, require advanced wound care, need intravenous therapy or other specialized treatments, or require rehabilitation services after an illness or injury.

To determine whether skilled nursing care is necessary, a healthcare professional, such as a physician, may evaluate the individual’s medical needs and make a recommendation for the appropriate level of care. Factors that may be considered include the individual’s medical history, current health status, level of functional independence, and availability of support from family or caregivers.

Our goal at Safe Haven is to maintain a life for our residents that is active, uplifting and well-rounded. Families who have a loved one at Safe Haven have a peace of mind that their loved one is being taken care of.

Assisted living homes in Atlanta

What is a Personal Care Home?

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A personal care home for seniors, also known as assisted living facility, is a residential community designed for elderly individuals who require some assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and medication management. Personal care homes are intended for seniors who are still relatively independent but may need some support with certain activities.

Personal care homes typically provide 24-hour supervision, daily meals, housekeeping services, and social activities. Many personal care homes also offer healthcare services, such as medication administration and monitoring, as well as assistance with medical appointments. The goal of a personal care home is to provide a comfortable, safe, and supportive environment for seniors who need some help with daily living, while still maintaining their independence and dignity. Safe Haven currently operates two personal care assisted living homes in the Atlanta metro area including Lenox Park and Brookhaven.

Tips For Seniors Living With Alzheimer’s & Dementia

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Safe Haven has a comprehensive Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program that specializes in care techniques which reduce challenging behaviors and result in better days for themselves and loved ones. We know that providing care to seniors with Alzheimer’s or Dementia can be challenging, and often makes the people involved feel isolated.

If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or Dementia, we understand that you may be unsure or frustrated with what to do after the diagnosis. At Safe Haven, we strive for independence and compassion.

Maintain Routine and Structure
Research shows a daily routine allows people with dementia to experience better moods, less anxiety, and generally function better. Develop a sense of structure by maintaining consistent wake, sleep, and mealtimes. Communicate their daily routine and what to expect next, even if they may not completely understand.

Keep Your Loved One Hydrated
Maintaining hydration is critical to good health. Dehydration can cause medical destabilization, agitation, confusion, and promote infection. Keeping plenty of water bottles on hand can help make it easier to boost hydration. You can even make it a social activity by drinking water at the same time and tracking it daily.

Enter Your Loved One’s Reality
Don’t argue with people with dementia when something they say is incorrect. Arguing may make them feel angry and that you have disrespected them. Instead of arguing, join them in their reality when talking about the present or the past. Talking things through may help you to keep the connection and familial bond healthy.

Focus on Feelings Not Facts
Make increasing their positive feelings a daily goal. Increasing their positivity can be achieved by engaging them in activities they enjoy. By accommodating their personal preferences, you’ll have better results and help them experience positive feelings. Family problems can profoundly affect people with dementia and can cause challenging behavior – even refusal of care.

Try to Effectively Communicate
Remember the saying, “your actions speak louder than words.” With dementia, nonverbal skills become more critical as their verbal skills start to fail. Avoid using words such as “don’t,” “can’t,” and “I told you.”

Don’t Go at it Alone
You can’t do it alone. Often, as a family caregiver, feelings of being overwhelmed make caregiving an emotional experience. It is important to remember that help is available at Safe Haven.

If you’re ready to find a senior living home in Atlanta that is ideal for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, contact us here for a tour.

Preventing Memory Loss for Seniors

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Memory loss is one of the scariest parts of Alzheimer’s and dementia, but there is a chance for your memory to improve through everyday activities. More active lifestyles allow your brain to rewire itself continually. Here are the top six activities you can do every day to improve your memory and reduce your risk of memory loss.

  • Reading Regularly
  • Playing Boardgames
  • Playing Musical Instruments
  • Dancing
  • Doing Crossword Puzzles/Sudoku
  • Practice Memory Exercises

These tasks are simple, and almost everyone can do at least one every day to improve memory retention and brain development. The goal is to engage in activities that perform a higher brain function. Simply falling into a routine of watching tv and reheating microwave meals means you’re more likely to suffer from memory loss. If you are more involved in your personal, physical, and social life, you’re more likely to improve your memory.

Here at Safe Haven, we work daily with our residents to improve memory health and cognitive brain function with compassion. To schedule a tour contact us here or call (404) 235-7733.

How to Downsize as You Prepare for the Next Chapter

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Moving to an assisted living residence is a big change in a person’s life. Offloading the items you’ve spent years accumulating can be hard, but once it’s done, you’ll likely feel lighter and breathe a sigh of relief. Here are a few ways to sort through your things and determine what items are the most important to have in your new home at Safe Haven.

Host a Goodbye Party
If you feel attached to your items, consider honoring the memories they hold by hosting a get together with close friends and family. Spend time sharing memories and reminisce over your various items and ceremoniously load them up and give them away. This will help to remind you that once the item is gone, the memory is still there.

Donate to Family
There are quite a few benefits to donating items to the family. One is that if you have a young relative moving into a new home, it can come in handy since you’ll be able to send your furniture to a good home. Family can also stop by and pick it up, rather than transporting it yourself. Best of all these items stay in the family.

Have an Estate Sale
Estate sales are perfect if you need an easy way to get rid of most of your items in a short amount of time. There are companies that plan and manage every aspect of the estate sale so you won’t have to do a thing. Any left over items can be donated to charity.

Put Items in Storage
Even if you do a combination of all these choices, there may still be items you want to keep. If you can’t bring the items to your new space you can invest in a small storage unit in case you want to use them someday or give them to relatives the next time they are in town.

Why Medication Management is Important

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We take medicine to feel better and improve our quality of life, but if you’re forgetful or taking multiple medications it can be difficult to remember to take the right medications at the right time. This is where medication management can help; we can help to make sure the right medication goes to the right person at the right time.

What is Medication Management?
Medication management is a service we provide at Safe Haven designed to help individuals manage their medications so they take them when they are supposed to every time they’re supposed to. This is to avoid the dangers of taking incorrect medication or not taking it at all.

For some seniors, a simple over-the-counter reminding device is enough. For others suffering from Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or those that need a consistent reminder may need to seek medication management services.

Benefits of Medication Management

  • Improve the quality of life
  • Less health care costs such as emergency room visit
  • Less stress for seniors and their families
  • Reduce medication mismanagement that can lead to addiction
  • Reduce illnesses and improve the immune system
  • More likely to lead a happy, healthy, full life

At Safe Haven, we provide all of our residents with medication management to make sure your loved one’s quality of life is only improving. To schedule a tour or learn more about our senior living residence contact us here.

3 Tips for Reducing the Risk of Dementia

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Seniors do not need to think that dementia is just a natural part of aging. Here are some things you can do to reduce the risk by keeping your brain healthy and sharp.

Stay Physically Active
Research proves that one of the biggest things you can do to keep your mental health in check is to stay physically active. Physical activity promotes blood flow which helps keep your brain in shape. Even if you d develop Alzheimer’s or dementia, physical activity may slow down the disease’s progression.

Stay Socially Active
Isolation can be harmful to brain health, studies directly link lonliness to an increased risk of developing dementia. Living at Safe Haven means your loved one will have positive social interactions that will help keep their brain active and healthy.

Do What You Love
Find a hobby that will help engage your mind, even as simple as reading. Reading can help reduce the risk of dementia because it promotes brain activity. Other healthy brain activities are games, sudoku, and crossword puzzles. It’s never too late to learn a new skill like a musical instrument, take a dance class, or learn to paint. The best hobby is one you will actually enjoy.

To learn about the brain-boosting activities we have at Safe Haven contact us here.

When to Know it’s Time to Move to Alzheimer’s Care

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How do you know when it’s time? If you are at the point where you are concerned for the safety of your loved one, it’s time to seriously consider a senior living community like Safe Haven that specializes in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Any of the following signs are reason enough to look at your options:

  • A lack of impulse control and issues controlling emotional responses
  • Accusatory verbal outbursts or paranoid statements
  • Depression or isolation
  • Difficulty engaging in meaningful activities
  • Agitation and restlessness
  • An increased number of falls
  • Increasing physical dependence on others
  • A need for a verbal, gesture, or physical cueing to complete tasks
  • Weight loss or difficulty with dining

Caring for someone with dementia can be a lot for one individual which means there are also signs you will see in yourself, as your loved one’s caregiver:

  • Increased irritation
  • Social withdrawal
  • Consistent low mood
  • Emotional and physical exhaustion

When it comes to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, it is essential to consider your health and the health of the whole family as well and how that will affect your loved one.

Keeping your loved one at home may seem like the best option, but given the complexity of the disease and the amount of support needed, they will get more support at a community like Safehaven that is designed especially for people living with dementia.

Our team is trained in dementia care and specialize in techniques that will help maintain your loved one’s indepedence and utilize their remaining skills. We develop a strong relationship with our residents and can anticipate their unmet needs.

At Safe Haven, we are focused on keeping residents engaged by providing a wide range of activities that are for people with different ability and interest levels. Our homes are also designed with safe outdoor walking spaces and garden with the needs of those with Alzheimer’s in mind.

A big piece of advice is to do your best to plan ahead of time to make the transition as smooth as possible – don’t wait until it feels like you’re out of options or until it presents a stressful situation for those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Call our offices to schedule a tour of Safe Haven Assisted Living and discuss how we can help you and your loved one.

Smart New Year’s Resolutions for Seniors

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Eat more healthy options.

No matter what your age, it’s important to eat your fruits and vegetables. It’s suggested by the USDA to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in order to maintain a healthy diet. Opt for dark leafy veggies that are high in vitamins and nutrients this year.

Take your vitamins.
Talk to your doctor about vitamin supplements if you haven’t started already. If you have dietary restrictions that make it more difficult to intake needed nutrients, like lactose intolerance, taking Calcium vitamins can help keep your bones and teeth in good shape.

Stay active.
No matter what your physical condition is, it’s crucial to keep moving and stay active every day. Taking a walk with a friend is an easy way to get started if you need a challenge try taking up yoga or water aerobics.

Challenge your brain.
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Reading, crossword puzzles and Sudoku are simple activities that can be done virtually anywhere. Join a card club to not only keep your brain active but also your social skills.

Update legal documents.
If you have paperwork that you’ve put off for months or documents that you haven’t updated in years, make this year the one you where you get it done. This includes things like wills, directives like a living will, or power of attorney documents.

New Years Resolutions can be big or small as long as it improves your quality of life in any big or small way.

Learn more about the Safe Haven Senior Living community in Atlanta, Georgia.