Personal care tasks like bathing and dressing become harder as we age. They can even be dangerous, with slippery showers and mobility issues posing real hazards.

Fortunately, professional personal care in a retirement community can help older adults care for themselves. Personal care can also have other benefits that help your older loved one lead a fulfilling and comfortable life.  

What is Assisted Living?

While the terms “assisted living” and “personal care” can mean different things to different people, definitions of services vary by State.  In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Personal Care is a level of service for seniors who need extra help moving around and taking care of their bodies, but for purposes of this blog, we will use the terms interchangeably.

Assisted living is different from other senior care services, such as home health care or homemaker services that help seniors with household chores. It is also different from companion care, which focuses on the emotional and mental well-being of older adults who live alone or have limited contact with others.

Assisted living communities provide licensed nurses, and residents receive regular monitoring. These communities offer diabetes management, medication administration, and wellness assessments. Assisted living also includes relationship building, as social isolation can be a real problem for older adults.

Is Assisted Living Right for Your Older Loved One?

Your loved one may be showing signs they could benefit from assited living. The signs include:

• Forgetting to take medication or taking it incorrectly;
• Noticeable weight gain or loss;
• Loss of mobility;
• Falling;
• Seeming unable to perform daily tasks, such as personal grooming or preparing meals;
• Neglected household maintenance;
• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed;
• Increased isolation.

Related Blog: 7 Tips for Moving into Personal Care

Assisted Living Services

Assited living services help older adults complete their basic day-to-day chores, known as activities of daily living. These include:

• Bathing, oral care, haircare;
• Dressing;
• Eating;
• Using the bathroom;
• Walking; and
• Moving from the bed to a chair and back.

Nursing home staff also help older adults perform these daily-living activities, but your older loved one does not need to move to a nursing home to receive these services. Personal Care is a good step between living at home and needed the care provided in a nursing home.  The caring professionals at Episcopal Church Home (ECH) in Louisville, KY., are dedicated to helping older adults with daily activities and relationship building in a comfortable environment.  

Episcopal Church Home’s Assited Living/Personal Care Services

ECH offers person-centered personal care to ensure your older loved one gets the care and community connections they desire. Residents may receive minimal assistance with their day-to-day activities from staff who follow state guidelines based on licensure. Our residents may also opt for additional services at small increases in the monthly fee. ECH has packaged services into levels to allow residents to remain in personal care as long as allowed, according to state guidelines.

Our first expanded service level includes minimal assistance with bathing and medication administration, which many older adults need. The second level of expanded services includes minimal assistance with bathing, dressing, medication administration, and consistent assistance during the night to ensure your loved one’s safety. We maintain a high ratio of personnel to residents, so your loved one gets needed care in a timely, unrushed manner.

Episcopal Church Home’s personal care services include:

• 24-hour nursing care;
• Three meals daily, including special diets;
• Registered dietician;
• Rehabilitation therapies, such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy;
• Ancillary health services, including a podiatrist, ophthalmologist, and dentist;
• Transportation secured for medical appointments;
• Weekly housekeeping;
• Bed/bath linen cleaning;
• Evening security;
• Beauty and barber services;
• Episcopal Chaplain — chapel services, spiritual counseling, and Bible studies; and
• Shabbos and High Holy Day services.

Personal Care, or assisted living communities allow older adults to receive the right care they need. Personal Care can be a good option for seniors who no longer can live at home but do not need a nursing home.  The caring professionals at Episcopal Church Home (ECH) in Louisville, KY., are dedicated to helping older adults with assisted living or personal care options in a comfortable environment.  

To determine if this type of retirement community is right for your loved one, or to schedule a tour of ECH, contact us today.