February 23, 2024
As the global population ages, it will bring both opportunities and challenges for senior living. The projected number of Americans aged 65 and older is expected to double from 46 million to over 98 million by 2060. It will be the first time in history the number of older adults outnumbers children under age five. In addition, older adults will live longer than ever before. One out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90. These remarkable gains are due to improved public health, better nutrition, and better healthcare.
With many people now expected to live into their nineties or beyond, there will be many new challenges and questions to answer. Even though people are living longer, they are not necessarily living healthier. The nature of the assisted living prospect has changed dramatically over the past 15 years, with even greater changes to come. The senior living industry, including The Town and Country Senior Living, will need to consider ways to adapt to residents with more complex and extended chronic care needs.
Some ways to adapt to residents with more complex needs include additional staff training. Not only will staff need the skills to care for residents progressing in their disease processes, but they will also need to understand how to quickly identify changes in their condition. Being proactive in this effort will allow teams to provide the care the residents need precisely when they need it.
Third-party vendors will be crucial to helping our assisted living staff be proactive.
The following will be crucial for caring for a resident population:
These vendors provide resident-specific care needed to help older adults continue to thrive in the assisted living environment.
Some strategies that will help us to adapt to the aging population with more complex and extended chronic care issues include utilizing outside agencies that provide extra care for our aging adults.
Collaborative Partnerships for Enhanced Resident Care:
These resources are an extension of our team and give our residents more attention and avenues of help.
We can prepare and educate our staff to care for a population with greater needs by providing the training and knowledge they will need to care for our residents as their needs change. Staff will need longer, more in-depth training and skills validation. Education is key, so we need to start training now and assist our staff with learning how to handle the more significant needs. Assisting with organization and helping with time management is the first step.
It is more important than ever to take a proactive approach when a change in condition occurs with a resident. To ensure our teams recognize even small changes within residents, we must continue education, have accurate community-based assessments, complete proper documentation, and maintain a thorough shift change report.
Once a change is identified, the appropriate next steps are to ensure the resident is safe, and then staff should report to the Nurse Manager, Care Coordinator, or the Director of Wellness.
A resident assessment will ascertain whether there’s a genuine change in condition and guide the necessary next steps.
Caring for a sicker population in an assisted living setting is a challenging issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Aging in place is an important goal for an older adult and should also be a priority of the senior living industry. To meet this goal, we must ensure we can fulfill the needs of our aging residents.
Town and Country Senior Living in Town and Country, MO offers independent living plus, assisted living, and memory care with a variety of services and a range of floor plan options. Amenities include restaurant dining, 24-hour bistro, concierge service, housekeeping, events and entertainment, personal care, transportation services, and more. We are centrally located near St. Luke’s Hospital and Chesterfield Amphitheater. In addition, convenient access to major shopping centers and attractions, including the Ballwin Golf Course and Events Center, West Country Center, Lone Elk Park, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, Myseum, and Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant.
