How to Foster Autonomy in Assisted Living

Studies, such as those conducted by the Long Term Care Community Coalition, have proven that it is crucial for elderly or disabled residents in assisted living facilities to enjoy some autonomy in their everyday routines. Whether it be going outside each day to enjoy the fresh air, maintaining their own apartment or room within the facility, or even cooking meals for themselves or friends, these actions all help to strengthen one's sense of self when coming to terms with the major lifestyle changes that moving into assisted living facilities often require.

Instructions

How to Foster Autonomy in Assisted Living Facilities

• 1

  Learn to compromise. Though it may present greater managerial challenges, it is important for assisted living facilities to offer as many freedoms and opportunities for independence to their residents as possible. As the Long Term Care Community Coaltion (LTCCC) and the Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled (CIAD) discovered in a three-year study, a large difference exists between how much independence assisted facility residents believe they should have and how much they feel their facility's management and its employees concede to them. In order to bridge this gap, listen to residents and try to honor rational requests for greater independence. Though this may mean having more staff on hand or creating more opportunities for excursions, keeping your residents happy is, ultimately, the best business decision an assisted living facility can make.

• 2

  Encourage physical activity. Helping assisted living residents to stay active and physically fit is one of the best routes by which facility management and employees can help them to maintain some level of independence. Try to organize walks, hikes and outdoor activities whenever possible to get residents moving and maintaining their strength. Physical exercise also releases chemicals in the brain that reinforce positive thinking, which will lead to happier residents and a better living environment.

• 3

  Training staff to foster independence. Though organizing activities and excursion for the residents of assisted living facilities might require a significant amount of work for facility employees, doing such work is proven to benefit the quality of life of residents. If management picks up on employee grumblings about such work, it is the job of management to nip this in the bud and train employees to see the importance and benefit of organizing these opportunities for residents. Conduct professional enrichment workshops with employees to help them develop ideas for activities and hire high-energy employees with a history of organizing activities and excursions for groups in previous jobs.