If you have a relative living in an assisted living community during the COVID-19 outbreak, now is the time to step up and help them. Assisted living communities are designed to allow elderly individuals to live independently with little additional support. In these times, your loved one may need more support than their community can provide.
Arrange Grocery Delivery
In most assisted living facilities, residents are still responsible for making their own meals. Some assisted living facilities provide some or all meals. If your loved one is in a facility where they cook for themselves going out grocery shopping may not be a safe activity for them.
If delivery apps in your area can handle orders, help them set-up a delivery app and help them place their order. If any of the grocery stores in your area allow you to make an order and pick it up curbside, you can do this as well.
If that isn't possible, as many delivery services are overloaded, you may need to go grocery shopping for them. You can pick up the groceries and drop them off, even doing contactless delivery for them.
Drop-Off Pre-Made Meals
Second, you can drop off pre-made meals for them. If you can't get together right now to share meals like you normally would, you can drop off meals. For example, you can drop off a meal and then a video conference with them as you all share the meal together. When you are stuck at home for a long time, it can be great to get some food delivered, and can help alleviate the stress that your loved one may be feeling.
Arrange Daily Phone Calls
Most people in assisted living are going to be of the age or health conditions to be considered high-risk individuals, and they may have to limit their contact with other people for a long time. You are going to want to make sure that your loved one stays in touch with people.
Arrange for a daily phone call at a set time. Reach out to extended family and friends and set up a schedule so that your loved one gets a phone call from family or friends every day. This will help your loved one feel connected to others.
Reach Out to the Assisted Living Community Director
Finally, reach out to the assisted living community director, and find out if there is anything they need help with, or if they know of any ways you can better meet your loved one's needs. There are on the ground, and could provide you with important insight.
If you have a loved one living at a facility for assisted living in your area, help them get their groceries and prescriptions through delivery apps, or by doing a contactless delivery for yourself. Call your loved one every day and get other family and friends to call throughout the week as well. Reach out to the community director for their living facility and see if there is anything else you can do to support your loved one's care.
Older adults sometimes see nursing care as an all-or-nothing scenario. They assume they are either at home living independently, or they are in a nursing home where everything is done for them. This is not really the case, however. There are plenty of in-between options for older adults who need some care, but who may not need full nursing assistance yet. Assisted living centers allow this flexibility. Your older loved one can simply have their meals provided for them, or they can have around-the-clock care — or somewhere in-between. We invite you to explore the content provided to learn more.