You might have heard the term “assisted living” before. Maybe you’re not sure exactly what that entails. For instance, you might not know whether there is any difference between an assisted living community and a nursing home.
If you need some help with your day-to-day activities, you can look into retirement communities in Arizona. Some of these are assisted living facilities, so let’s discuss what this term means and what an average day is like in the life of someone in one of these communities. That way, you can determine whether this sounds like the best plan for you.
What is an Assisted Living Facility?
Assisted living facilities are usually for older adults. If you have reached your Golden Years and find you’re not as spry as you used to be, that’s usually when you’ll move into one of these living situations.
With assisted living facilities, you can usually still take care of yourself to some extent. In that respect, they’re different from nursing homes, where the residents require much more care to maintain their quality of life.
Now, let’s discuss what a day in your life might involve if you move into an assisted living facility.
Your Morning
In the morning, you might get up on your own. You can probably dress and bathe yourself. However, if you need help with those things, there are staff members who can assist you.
Next, you’ll likely go to breakfast in the cafeteria with your neighbors and friends. When you live in an assisted living facility, you’ve usually reached the point where you no longer want to prepare your own meals. You want someone else to do it for you.
After that, you might take an exercise class or do some physical therapy. Often, the staff members will encourage you to exercise to maintain your strength and flexibility.
Your Afternoon
In the late morning and afternoon, you might watch TV or movies in the common area with the other residents. You might play cards with them or do some arts and crafts. You can go back to your room and read or take a nap if you’re not feeling social.
When you move into one of these facilities, that usually means you don’t want to drive anymore. Accordingly, one of the staff might drive a bus that takes you and the other residents on field trips. You might get a ride to a shopping mall, a movie theater, or a public park.
While you’re doing these things, the staff can tidy up your room and do your laundry.
Your Evening
In the evenings, you can eat a meal in the cafeteria with your friends and neighbors again. The meal will likely be well balanced, so as to keep you healthy.
You might have a movie night with the other residents, or maybe you’ll play Bingo or something else. You’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour.
That’s what a day might look like if you feel you’re ready to try assisted living.
