When it is time for seniors to move to assisted living facilities, they have a lot to think about before choosing the residence where they will spend their post-retirement years. Some factors that you should have in mind include the cost, location, level of care, and activities.
For some older adults, religion plays a significant role in the decision making process. These are retirees who do not want to let go of spiritual connections to their faith. Thankfully, these needs are met by religious-based senior living facilities. The homes are put in place to look after the physical and spiritual needs of residents who belong to different religions.
Even though a particular facility may be catering to the needs of a specific denomination, they also welcome other retirees who do not necessarily subscribe to a specific spiritual community.
An example of retirement communities that offer care centered on religious beliefs are Lutheran assisted living homes. Here is a detailed guide that will let you in on all essential details to learn about such residences.
Lutheran assisted living communities are senior care residences that have strong affiliations to the Lutheran Church. It is a church that is dedicated to availing services that do not only take care of the body, but the spirit and mind as well. Staff members and managers at the assisted home use this mission as a guide when tending to inhabitants.
Lutheran senior care residences do not lock out anyone who does not belong to the faith. They welcome senior citizens from all beliefs and religions. Some facilities only focus on assisted living, but there are some that go-ahead to include other services like memory care and skilled nursing. The latter permits the elderly to transfer easily between care levels when the need arises.
A few differences come out when comparing “secular” senior care facilities to the Lutheran option. The primary difference is that the core of the religious-based homes is to take care of the spirit of aged persons. It means that a majority of the residences have a full-time chaplain or one who works on a part-time basis. The leaders are usually available to help with daily or weekly worship services, bible classes, prayer groups and administering communion. Some communities construct chapels on the campus so that retired persons do not have to keep traveling to attend religious service. Additional spiritual amenities that some of the centers offer include:
Because the Lutheran communities also cater to golden agers of other faiths, they also make arrangements to offer services to the other denominations. For example, Mass may be held for Catholic elders.
Personnel who work here encourage occupants to voice out what they need spiritually so that they can do everything possible to accommodate these requirements. It allows aging individuals to retire in a comforting and reassuring environment where they do not feel like management ignores their requests.
The costs of senior care usually do not depend on whether a residence is faith-based or not. The primary contributing factor is the level of care that an inhabitant demands. Elders who reside in adult day care homes that are affiliated with the Lutheran faith pay less money than the ones in an assisted living residence, nursing home, or dementia care unit. Other contributing factors may include location, amenities available, size of living quarters, and meal plans.
Religion does not dictate the prices of the retirement communities. However, it is also quite essential to understand that some faith-based homes may offer financial assistance to residents who can benefit from it. The move is at times made possible by donations that members of the church make. Other homes also avail different types of financial aid.
This rarely happens in for-profit facilities. Make sure you do due diligence when it comes to costs and financial aid to know precisely what is available.
Just like a majority of the faith-based senior homes, Non-profit organizations operate the Lutheran-based communities. These are organizations that are not in the business of collecting any profits that the facilities make. Instead, they put back the funds to the communities so that management can use the money to look after the residents.
In most cases, there is a board of directors that includes clergy members and health-care experts. The professionals collaborate to make sure that the homes run all their services in a way that does not stray from the Lutheran Church’s mission.
Assisted living facilities, whether faith-based or not, are typically best suited for retirees who want to enjoy their independence. Despite being able to do most of the personal things on their own, the seniors also require a helping hand with a few areas in their lives. It could be assistance with simple things like choosing an outfit, dressing, eating, transfer, cooking, home maintenance, and taking a bath.
Although some residences accept to look after older adults with severe illness, assisted living is usually not the best fit. It is because most homes do not have medical personnel and caregivers working 24/7 for patients who need round the clock supervision. Assisted living communities, however, usually have nurses that can help with duties that may include medication administration or reminders, wound care, and injections.
Senior citizens who are looking to interact and spend quality time with their peers are also ideal candidates for assisted living. The facilities provide an environment where many elderly persons can reside together. They usually do not accept adults who are younger than 55 to permanently move in. This gives the aging individuals a chance to be around people who have the same interests or life experiences, giving them a break from other generations.
The above is not to say that golden agers isolate themselves. The communities allow friends and family to visit as often as possible. Many also have intergenerational programming that makes it possible for residents to mingle with other people who are not their peers.
The faith-based communities also make the perfect retirement homes for aged persons who want to remain close to their faith and beliefs without having to hide who they are or what they believe in. Interacting with other retired seniors who share similar beliefs can open up a world where the elders get to learn a lot from one another.
Lutheran assisted living homes have been offering spiritual fulfillment, comfort, friendships and retirement security to seniors for hundreds of years. Keep in mind that all of them do not provide similar services. For this reason, anyone interested in spending their golden years in these faith-based homes should do their homework well to identify a residence that best suits their needs.
There are different avenues where you can begin your search. The best option would be to talk to other church members or elders who may have a list of the residences that you should explore. You may be surprised to find out that your Lutheran church supports a retirement community where you or your elderly loved one can spend their formative later years in peace.
Another option you can explore is to do an online search. It will reveal a list of homes that you can look into. Take time to go through as many listings of the centers as possible. It will give a general an idea of what the homes are all about to gauge whether they are the best option.
Having a list of assisted living residences is not enough. You must set some time aside to visit at least four or more to get the first-hand experience of the services and amenities that the home or community has to provide. Make sure to ask the right questions during the tour so you aren’t left wondering about anything after you are finished.
During your tour of various facilities, factors that you must consider to choose the best facility include:
The setting of a Lutheran assisted living home is a big deal for many potential occupants. Some members of the older generation prefer a home that is in the heart of the city. They want to be as close to as many city amenities as possible to have a blast in their golden years. Some, however, want to retire in a rural area or countryside to bask in lots of fresh air, greenery, and calmness.
The services that the Lutheran senior residences offer should be a major determining factor as to whether a golden ager should spend their next phase of life on the property. It is essential to find out all the services that they avail to know if it is what the potential resident needs. You can inquire about the flexibility of their offerings to meet the needs of the inhabitants. For instance, if the facility offers meals, can they change the menu if one is allergic to some of the ingredients used. At the end of the day, the aging individuals should spend their post-retirement years in a place where they are as comfortable as possible with minimal or no complaints.
While searching for the ideal Lutheran assisted living center, it is paramount that you end up picking a facility or community that you can afford with ease. Get your finances in check first to know the average costs that you can pay without a problem. It will also guide you when selecting things like living quarters so that you do not go overboard and start suffering within a short period. You may also want to explore financial aid options that can help out with some expenses so that you do not sell yourself too short.
Relationship of Staff and Residents
As you walk around a couple of Lutheran senior residences, take note of how staff members interact with the occupants. Do the aging individuals look scared of the caregivers or are they free and open with them? Where possible, talk to some of the inhabitants to get a feel of how their experiences are in the community. It never hurts to find out about the qualifications of the staff members to ensure that the elders are in good hands at all times.
A majority of senior citizens today do not want to sit around and do boring things after retirement. They want to make the most of life when they can. It means that you have to identify a facility that comes up with creative and age-appropriate activities to keep residents entertained. You should also look around to find out the type of amenities they have. Most will have a swimming pool, fitness center, library, tennis or golf course where older adults spend their free time. It is a good idea to find a Lutheran retirement residence with activities directors who come up with fun activities that retirees can participate in to not only have a good time, but also learn and unwind as well.
The purpose of searching for a faith-based assisted living community is so that seniors get a comfortable place that supports their faith. Take time to find out how the residence you are interested in incorporates religion into daily operations. If the assisted facility does not have a chapel on site, ask how occupants access places of worship. Do they offer transportation to other churches or do pastors come in on site? If the community also accepts residents from other denominations, it would be nice to know how they arrange for other services to meet the spiritual needs of all the residents.
The assisted living industry is transforming positively for the good of senior citizens who require religious services. Nowadays, they are not only helping out with housekeeping, laundry, and other daily activities. They also make sure that residents stay in a place that looks after their residents’ spiritual being. It is why you can come across many Lutheran assisted living facilities that allow you to choose the one you feel will serve your needs in the best possible way.
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