February 24, 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 Vitalia Strongsville, 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.
Strategies for adapting to an aging population with complex care needs include enhancing healthcare through better training for direct care staff. Boosting communication with physicians and family is crucial to ensuring optimal care for complex cases.
We can prepare and educate our staff to care for a population with more significant needs by providing monthly in-service training. We always provide multiple learning options for care staff to accommodate different learning preferences: hands-on approach or training materials. It can be secured with one-on-one training sessions for the most complex situations.
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 always maintain an open line of communication. Communication between doctors, nurses, care partners, and families is critical in any healthcare setting. Our wellness staff are our eyes and ears in the communities. As nursing staff, they can notice the tiny changes in their residents that most people may miss and be the frontline to getting them the care they need and deserve.
Once you identify a change, take the appropriate next step by corresponding with that resident’s provider. Notifying the doctor or nurse practitioner to ensure proper care starts is the most important step you can take to stabilize your resident.
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.
VITALIA® Strongsville in Strongsville, OH offers independent senior apartments, 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. Centrally located near Southwest General Hospital with convenient access to major shopping centers and attractions, including Mallard Creek, Southpark Mall, Strongsville Historical Society, The Greens of Strongsville Shopping , and Don’s Pomeroy House.
