As we age, it becomes increasingly difficult to live independently and perform day-to-day activities without needing assistance. In such cases, a senior care center can be extremely helpful and provide the necessary care and support to ensure a comfortable and secure life.
Choosing the right senior care center for yourself or a loved one can be daunting but following some best practices can make the process easier.
5 Best Practices to Follow When Choosing a Senior Care Center
When identifying and selecting a senior care center that meets your needs, follow these steps:
- First, conduct research. Start by typing the phrases “senior care center near me,” “senior activities centers near me,” and/or “senior activities near me” in search engines on the internet. Check their websites and read reviews from their clients. You can also ask for recommendations from family and friends who have had experience with such facilities. By analyzing your options, you will have a better idea of what to expect and if the facility is a contender.
- Identify required services. Once you find a senior care center, identify the services that the center provides and confirm that they cater to the specific needs of you or a loved one. For example, some seniors may require skilled nursing; others require assisted living assistance with medication, and others require only senior activities. Again, you can zero in on an appropriate senior care facility by using phrases such as “senior primary care,” “Medicare for seniors,” or “physical therapy for seniors near me” when searching the internet. By determining what services are critical, you will pick the best facility that will meet your needs or those of a loved one.
- Inspect the facility. Prior to engaging any senior care center, physical inspections are important. Be sure to visit different facilities to identify their amenities, their level of cleanliness, and overall safety to ensure a comfortable and healthy environment for you or your loved one. This also provides an opportunity to meet with staff and ask any questions that you may have.
- Assess Staffing Levels. The ratio of staff to seniors is critical. In a perfect world, staffing levels are such that seniors will receive personalized attention and care. A low ratio of staff to seniors should be a red flag, even if the facility is highly rated. When there is inadequate staffing and low care quality, reductions in activities and a negative environment may occur.
- 5. Take note of quality improvement Initiatives: Lastly, determine what quality improvement programs or initiatives the senior care center implements. This is important since it will determine the type of monitoring that will be conducted to ensure that the facility is providing quality care to its residents. Ask about initiatives such as hand hygiene checks, fall prevention plans, staffing levels, and nursing care.
Finding the right senior wellness center may seem time-consuming, but following these five best practices will make the selection process easier. By conducting research, identifying the required services, inspecting facilities, assessing staffing levels, and assessing quality improvement initiatives, you can be sure that you are selecting the best senior care center for you or a loved one.
Senior Care Doctors Near Me in Fort Worth, Texas
If you are looking for primary care doctors for seniors near you, you need look no further than Palm Primary Care Texas. Not only do we provide senior primary care with genuine kindness, but we also offer our Medicare Advantage patients a comprehensive range of additional services that include:
- In-house diagnostic tests
- Concierge-style case management and clinical care program
- Transportation to and from all in-house appointments, our locations, and outside medical specialist clinics when necessary
- Online, real-time telemedicine visits with providers from all our multiple locations
- Patient resources and caregivers’ support
With clinics conveniently located in the Fort Worth Medical District, Cityview, and (soon to be) Tanglewood and Keller (we also have Keller coming up at the same time as Tanglewood), there is bound to be a Palm Primary Care clinic near you.
To learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (866) 840-7728. If you reside in the communities we serve, we also offer a free visit to your preferred location, complete with complimentary transportation. So, contact us today!
