Is It Safe To Move To An Assisted Living During The Covid-19 Pandemic?

By Author: Kate A.
Total Articles: 6
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Transitioning to an Assisted Living facility requires careful planning. It can be very stressful, especially if you need to move your aging loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic. The number one priority is always to keep your loved ones safe and protected against the coronavirus. The fact that there is still no Covid-19 vaccine available, makes it even more worrisome.

Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, a lot of families have considered moving their aging loved ones to a Long-Term Care facility. However, due to Coronavirus many families have put the Assisted Living move on hold. Families are concerned about exposure to coronavirus and how they can protect their loved ones from getting infected.

One of the most common questions we get from families during this pandemic is, “Will it be safe to move mom/dad to an Assisted Living Facility now?” The answer will depend on several factors by carefully weighing the pros and cons before making the Assisted Living decision.

If you need to move your aging loved one amid the coronavirus, you will definitely need to consider the following:

First ...
... and foremost, you need to determine if your loved one can still safely live at home by themselves. Is mom/dad a wanderer and/or a fall-risk?

If yes, staying at home by themselves might no longer be a safe option.

Do they need 24-hour care and supervision? Will they need assistance with Activities of Daily Living like bathing, dressing, toileting, walking and/or med management?

If you have a family member or a caregiver who can provide the care they need, then maybe they can still stay home longer. However, if they do not have access to this, moving your aging loved one to an Assisted Living facility may be a safer option for their protection.

Does the Assisted Living Facility have any active Covid-19 cases?

If they do, then you may want to reconsider. Be sure to contact the facilities to ask them if they have any coronavirus cases in their facility.

What is the Assisted Living facility’s safety prevention and control protocols? Are they adequate enough to protect their residents from getting the coronavirus? What do they do when one of their residents gets infected? How do they provide updates to the residents and their families about this?

Be sure to contact the facility to get details on their Covid-19 Safety Plan/Guidelines. This will be one of the most important information you’ll need to help you determine whether or not to move your aging love ones to an Assisted Living during the pandemic.

Do their caregivers and other assisted living staff members take extra precautions by wearing Personal Protective Equipment like facemask and gloves while caring for the elderly residents?

To avoid the spread of coronavirus, all the caregivers should be wearing cloth coverings/facemasks and gloves while providing the elderly assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, grooming, walking, med management).

What is the touring policy? Most of the Assisted Living communities do not allow in-person tours to protect their residents and staff members. If an actual tour is not available, do they provide a virtual tour or a video/FaceTime tour?

Find out if the Assisted living is providing in-person tours, if they do it would be best for you to tour the community so you can see for yourself and have a feel if it is the right community for your loved one. If they do not provide an in-person tour, be sure to do a virtual tour as it will show you the actual photos and videos of the communities. Virtual tours are a great as it will give you a good idea whether the community would be a right fit or not.

As we all continue to adapt to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we want to ensure that we prioritize our elderly loved one’s health and safety. We want to make the best care decision for them. Thus, determining if the move is worth the stress and safety risk will be key.

Helping keep seniors safe and happy is our goal. If you need help finding Assisted Living options, especially during the pandemic, we would love to help you. Feel free to call us 877-523-6523 anytime for care options or simply fill-out this Request For Assisted Living Options form.