Whether you are narrowing down your list of communities for yourself, or for a loved one, senior living safety should be at the top of the “must-haves.” Here’s a look at the many ways this service-rich lifestyle can offer safety, security, and peace of mind.

Senior living safety: details that offer important protection.

• Maintenance-free living. Be careful not to gloss over this important aspect of senior living safety. If you are still living at home, you have many responsibilities—many of which can put you in harm’s way. For example, climbing a ladder to wash a window or hang a holiday decoration. Crawling through an attic to find a suitcase. Trying to get something off a top shelf in a closet. While these tasks are not huge, they can pose dangers to your wellbeing.

However, knowing you no longer must take care of any repairs, upkeep, or maintenance offers you—and your family—tremendous peace of mind. Now you can really enjoy life, without the added worries of a mishap or fall while doing a chore. Maintenance-free is truly worry-free.

• Smart design. Senior living safety includes all the many details in a community that are there for resident wellbeing. For example, no stairs to climb. No slippery rugs to trip over. No hard-to-reach light switches. Everything is designed to make it easy and accessible for you or your loved one to move about safely and smoothly. Wider halls, amplified lighting, safety features in the bathrooms, and emergency call systems are just a few of the ways today’s senior living offers residents a safer lifestyle.

• Protection from unwanted solicitors. More and more seniors are becoming the target of scammers…people whose only goal is to take advantage of anyone over the age of 55. It can be as simple as a dishonest “handyman” knocking on the door and promising to fix a gutter, provide landscaping assistance, or paint the house. The work is never done, and the senior has been scammed. Even the savviest homeowner can fall prey to such false promises.

Senior living safety includes protection from this form of deceit. Residents don’t have to worry about a stranger knocking on their apartment door. Visitors to the community must first sign in with the concierge and are not able to wander about the premises. Living in a senior living community can also help protect a resident from online or telephone scams, as someone is always close by to help you make the right decisions.

• 24/7 emergency assistance. It’s very reassuring to know that should assistance be needed at night, on the weekend, or any day of the year, someone is right there to lend a hand.

A senior living community is required by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet specific protocols for emergency preparedness to ensure adequate planning for both natural and man-made disasters. Whether it’s bad weather or adhering to sanitation guidelines, senior living safety and security is designed to take care of it.

• Continuous monitoring of health. The goal of senior living safety is to keep each person as active and independent as possible. This can include regular wellness checks, ongoing health monitoring, attention to nutrition in dining, opportunities to get outdoors, socializing through activities and events, and other aspects of healthy aging.

It also offers the reassurance that professional caregivers and staff members are keeping a close eye on residents. This enables them to quickly spot a change in a person’s health so further action can be taken. It might be a change in eating habits. Or less energy. Whatever is going on, it’s comforting to know that caring eyes are always on the alert—and you or your loved one benefit with good health.

Senior living should be about doing what you want, when you want. When you say goodbye to home maintenance, you say hello to a whole new adventure, complete with the peace of mind that comes with 24/7 security. 

At your service. At PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®), we encourage seniors to experience life at their own pace, while supporting them with the help they need to maintain their independence. Contact a community near you to learn more and to schedule your personalized tour.