Personal Care for Seniors in Lexington: Top Services Explained
In the United States, an estimated 17.7 million people are caregivers for family members aged 65 or older. They care for and look after their older loved ones who need help due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment.
As much as family caregivers love their aging loved ones, their work can be stressful and tiring. They may struggle to balance their caregiving work with their personal lives and careers.
If you're in the same boat, you'll be happy to know that personal care for seniors in Lexington, KY, is available. You can get them for your loved one through an assisted living community.
This guide explores the top senior care services you can expect from warm, compassionate communities, so please read on.
Personal Hygiene Activities
The best Lexington senior living communities provide elderly care solutions for residents who need help with personal hygiene. They have highly experienced, compassionate personal care associates who help residents in:
- Bathing or showering
- Toileting and cleaning up after
- Practicing good oral hygiene habits
- Selecting suitable clothes and putting them on
All those are examples of activities of daily living (ADLs). Community care associates are available round-the-clock to help residents perform those tasks. So, you can rest easy knowing your loved one always has someone they can call for help, such as when they need to go to the toilet.
Moreover, communities offering assisted living in Lexington provide grooming services. They have a hair and nail salon on site that residents can use.
Restaurant-Style Dining
Another ADL that personal care associates can help with is feeding or dining. And it's not just any typical meal; we're talking restaurant-style dining here! The best communities also boast a full-service bistro and bar that caters to every resident's nutritional needs.
Some apartments in assisted living communities also have kitchenettes. Residents who live in these units can prepare their meals from time to time. If they need help during meal preparation, they can call on a personal care associate.
Medication Management
Medication management helps ensure patients take their medicines as prescribed. In senior living communities, it involves personal care associates performing the following:
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Being familiar with prescription requirements
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Organizing medications
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Reminding residents that it's time to take their medicines
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Ensuring residents take the correct medicine (including the right dose and quantity)
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Monitoring residents before, during, and after they take their medications
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Giving the medication to the resident as per the doctor's instructions
Personal care associates also coordinate with each of their resident's physicians. That lets them keep doctors up-to-date on their patients' health conditions and status.
Why It Matters
Most older adults rely on prescription medications to manage their health: nearly 90% take at least one regularly. About 80% are on at least two, while about a third have to take at least five!
As helpful as medicines are, their improper use can do more harm than good. For instance, not taking them as prescribed can lead to adverse drug events (ADEs). At the very least, their incorrect use can make them less effective.
Older adults may unintentionally commit errors by forgetting to take their medication on time. In other cases, they may forget they've already taken it, so they take another one. They may also mix up their medicines and take the wrong ones.
Personal care associates can help prevent those errors and keep residents safe through expert medication management services. With their compassionate help, your older loved one can achieve their medication and treatment goals. You can also worry less about medication errors that can put your aging family member in harm's way.
Housekeeping Services
According to experts, about 60% of fall incidents occur at home. That makes them a huge safety concern for older adults, especially those living alone. Falls can happen when seniors do household chores, such as home maintenance.
Older adults face a higher fall risk due to age-related physical changes in the body. These include balance and gait issues and sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass). They can make older adults more prone to losing their balance, tripping, and falling.
To reduce those risks, communities provide residents with housekeeping services. Trained staff work on their residents' beautiful, well-appointed senior apartment units once weekly. They also provide weekly laundry and linen service.
Senior Wellness Programs
Ambulation, or the ability to walk and move independently, is another type of ADL. Personal care associates can also help with this. They assist residents in moving about and going around the community.
Communities also help residents improve and maintain their mobility by promoting physical activity. They regularly hold exercise classes and have walking clubs. They also encourage seniors to move about by scheduling regular outings and excursions.
The best communities pack their calendars with engaging daily activities for health and wellness. These can help your loved one enjoy their daily life in the community.
Relaxing Massage Services
Some assisted living communities in Lexington, KY, also boast a massage room. While getting a massage may not be an ADL, many consider it self-care. Self-care is anything people do to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.
A massage fits that definition since it's a way to pamper oneself while helping ease stress and pain. Indeed, people use it for many conditions, such as anxiety, nerve pain, headaches, and nausea. Massages may also help with circulation, muscle, joint, flexibility, and immune health issues.
Since seniors can be prone to those problems, they may find massage beneficial.
Explore Exceptional Personal Care for Seniors in Lexington
From help with personal hygiene to dining and housekeeping, these are just some of the services you can expect from an assisted living community. With these, your loved one can enjoy their golden years fully.
Our community, Preston Greens Senior Living, specializes in exceptional personal care for seniors in Lexington, KY. We also offer beautiful apartments, on-site amenities, and fun and engaging activities. Rest assured that our compassionate and friendly personal care associates will treat your loved one with dignity and respect.
Reach out to us today to schedule a tour of our community! We look forward to welcoming and caring for your loved one.