Boosting Independence through Assisted Living

October 1, 2015 by ·

Assisted Living in Spanish Fort AL

One of the easiest things to assume about assisted living is that a person moving into this type of residence is losing a significant level of independence. Nothing could be further from the truth, in Assisted-Living-Spanish-Fort-ALreality.

September is International Self Awareness Month and for those who pride themselves on being as independent as possible, the notion of moving into assisted living might be something they keep on the back burner as long as possible. In truth, relying on assistance with various daily tasks is not a sign of the loss of independence.

Even for those who have difficulty getting around on their own, need reminders about when it’s take to time to take certain prescription medications, and perform other basic tasks such as bathing or even toileting, they can still live an independent lifestyle if they so choose.

There are ways to go about boosting independence through assisted living. Here are some ideas to keep in mind.

Plan your day out ahead of time.

Each day can pose its own unique challenges and opportunities. When you sit down and make a plan for the day ahead, you can see what you might need assistance with and what you can generally do on your own. If you’re going to need help with something, you can plan those activities earlier on and then be left to your own devices for the rest of the day. That can help you feel much more independent.

Limit the challenges you take on.

This doesn’t mean you should give up trying to do things that are challenging to you, but try to avoid taking on too many things on any given day.

When you limit the challenges you face on a daily basis, it will limit how much assistance you’ll need throughout that day.

Give yourself time to rest.

As you get older, you notice it takes a bit longer each day to get the right level of rest. That’s going to be true when you take on any type of activity in assisted living. The best thing is to give yourself an extra day of rest if you’re going to be running around from one store to the next, visiting with friends throughout the community, and more. While it may be exciting for you to get out and about, it can be taxing, both physically and emotionally.

If you don’t give yourself enough time to rest, it can directly affect your independence level the next day.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Spanish Fort, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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