Assisted Living Barriers

Being able to stay at home has been one of the many topics that my mother and father have addressed with me from an early age. Neither one of them expressed the desire to go to a nursing home or an assisted living facility. I am also so thankful that they are in good health. My father is 77 years old and continues to work in and around the home, despite some minor health issue like having both knees replaced a few years ago. He would probably stop thriving if the only option for him was to “age gracefully” in an assisted living facility or nursing home because of his age or health at the time of his knee replacements.
The barriers that I noted are the very common barriers that afflict many individuals not just the aging in place population but there are a few that I feel are uniquely specific to them. One thing that I had mentioned in an earlier posting, people are living longer with more complex/ chronic health issues. This population tend to have more than one provider overseeing their care which can be …show more content…
Collaboration among specialist that would help manage these complex health issues like Cardiovascular Disease, Neurologist, Nephrologist, Gerontologist and let’s not leave out OT/PT that are willing to render their services while building trusting relationships. Community center leaders may also help eliminate the barriers by providing home care courses that are free of charge to family members that are serving as healthcare providers to their loved one who are opting to age in place. Those courses could range from proper blood pressure, blood sugar monitoring to knowing how to properly administer their medications. And last but certainly not least, make sure that our aging in place are getting the making the most of their benefits so that they are getting the most bang for their