Are Senior Living Communities Safe?

How safe is senior living help in Chicagoland? This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions and it’s perfectly understandable because family members are concerned about the safety of their loved ones. Unfortunately, senior living is sometimes uncharted territory. 

It’s not something you talk about over dinner. However, when you’re living with seniors, you may at some point consider senior living, especially if no one in the family is willing to commit to becoming full-time caregivers. 

The sad reality of life is that when people age, their energy, stamina, cognition, and their ability to fend for themselves may diminish. For some, it happens abruptly while for others it could manifest during their later years. They become prone to diseases, accidents, injuries, and their overall health and well-being may be compromised if they continue living life without assistance. 

This is when you should start talking about senior living. Unfortunately, many families are apprehensive to give senior living a try because they are concerned about the safety of their loved ones. So, do senior living facilities provide safety to seniors?  

Is It Safe to Leave the Elderly in A Senior Living Facility?

What Are Senior Safety Risks?

Recent studies from the National Safety Council revealed that in the year 2019, there were approximately 131,400 deaths in the home that were all injury-related. And the sad part of it all was that these deaths could have been prevented. 

The statistics increase at a rate of nearly five percent every year. The top leading causes of death are poisoning, which accounts for fifty percent, while falls follow next accounting for twenty-nine percent of the total deaths. 

It was found that seniors with ages sixty-five years and above are more prone to falls compared to the younger generation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than one out of four seniors experience falls each year. When an elderly falls once, they are likely to fall again. In America, the death rates that are related to having increased up to thirty percent. 

Unfortunately, it has become pretty common for seniors who are left alone at home to accidentally slip and fall. When no one is around, they won’t be able to get the help they need. 

Picture this scenario. You’re off to work and you left your 75 year-old grandmother in the house. Her memory is still sharp, and she has your phone number. Your instructions were very clear and that if anything happens, she should call you immediately. 

It’s nine in the morning, which means it’s bath time. She goes to the bathroom, but the tiles are still wet. She slips and falls. 

Her legs and knees are too weak to carry the weight of her body. She attempts to stand but she just doesn’t have the strength. She wanted to reach the phone to call you and to let you know what happened but how can she do that if she can’t even get herself to stand up? 

This is a typical example of why many consider taking their loved ones to senior living communities. Unless they are able to cut their hours at work and devote a large portion to being their grandparent’s caregiver.

Lucky, if the impact isn’t strong. Some seniors become unconscious after a fall, which makes it even more dangerous. 

Another potential problem is poisoning. Did you know that seniors can get poisoned by carelessly taking the wrong medications or the wrong dosage? When they mix up meds and dosages, they are putting themselves at unnecessary risk.

Aside from poisoning, other risks include fire and smoke, choking, mechanical suffocation, and drowning. When no one is at home with the elderly, they won’t be able to get help when they need it and their health, safety, and life could be at risk. 

How Do Senior Living Communities Offer Safety?

Senior living communities all aim to provide safety to residents. They have trained, knowledgeable, and skilled staff that ensures all the needs of your loved ones are satisfactorily met. The communities are uniquely designed for seniors. 

The hallways and doorways are wide and the units only have one floor. The layout is also carefully thought out and is equipped with safety features such as grip bars in toilets, showers, and bathtubs.  

The toilets are also raised and the floors are slip-resistant. Furthermore, the lights are bright enough to illuminate the space allowing seniors to clearly see where they are going. Safety locks are also provided in pools and spas. 

The seniors also have access to wheelchairs. Senior living homes are also equipped with intercoms and emergency systems. Regular wellness checks are also practiced to ensure that the health of the residents is always monitored. Whenever their needs change, the care changes as well. 

The facilities also have security guards manning the entrances and exists to monitor visitors. Anyone who wishes to visit should sign at the front desk and log in their names and their time of visit. This added security proves that senior living communities are indeed safe 24/7. 

Are You Interested in Finding Senior Living Help in Chicagoland?

Caring for seniors is a tough job. In fact, tough is an understatement. Family members who “tried” to take care of seniors at home ended up frustrated, disappointed, angry and burnt out and that’s because providing care to this age group will really test your patience. 

It also requires expertise and knowledge to keep them safe. Senior living facilities offer medication management, healthy and nutritious meals, and other forms of therapy that are designed to improve their quality of life. If this is what you need, we can help you. 

At Senior Living Experts, our advisors will work closely with you and your family to help you to find the best place for your parents. We have been working with over two hundred and thirty communities and we’ve helped hundreds of seniors live better and more comfortable lives with the array of options we offer.  

Our staff received ample training to cater to the needs of the elderly. They are ready to provide care whenever necessary. Call us today to learn more about our services.