One of the primary goals of any Assisted Living Community is to provide comfort to its residents.  Here at Cozy Retire, we go about this in many different ways. Our retirement community is tailored to the individual needs of our residents, with programs, classes, and activities personalized to each resident.

A big theme within all our programs is independence. We’re here to provide assistance in many areas for seniors who may struggle in certain areas; but we’re also here to foster independence and continued control over the parts of life seniors can still manage. Here are a few of the areas we emphasize when it comes to maintaining independence for our residents.

Daily Care

Basic daily care items are some of the best areas to promote senior independence. These are simple tasks that can keep our senior’s confidence high.  Something as simple as combing hair or brushing teeth can go a long way in making residents feel confident in their ability and maintaining more independence. This helps take the focus away from the areas where independence is fading, and keeps the focus on the positive.

Focus on Abilities

Down similar lines, focusing on the things a senior can do is preferable to focusing on the areas they struggle in. This often means modifying the occasional part of their life. If a senior can put on shoes but is unable to tie them, for instance, purchasing some slip-ons or Velcro shoes is a great alternative.

Physical Activity

Physical activity can serve not only as a healthy reminder of independence, but also as another way to help seniors accomplish a task and feel good about it. Setting a few moderate exercise goals will help with purpose and satisfaction, and can even have the tangential benefit of keeping a senior in shape – which might help them with other daily activities in turn.

Modifying Environment

Similar to our second area above, modifying a few parts of a senior’s environment can help with perception. If showering is becoming more difficult, buy a shower chair. If slips or falls have become a concern, buy hand rails or non-slip additions for the bathroom. Heading off these issues before they prevent seniors from accomplishing a basic task altogether can make a big difference for self-esteem.

Want to learn more about how we emphasize senior independence, or have any other questions about our assisted living programs? The caregivers at Cozy Retire are here to help.