Category: Making the Decision

At Atria, protecting the well-being and safety of our residents and staff has always been our highest priority. We were among the first senior living companies to provide the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available in late 2020. Now, in partnership with CVS, we’ll be offering both the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 booster shot to Atria residents and employees at on-site clinics as soon as the booster becomes available.

Currently, 99 percent of employees and residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on when the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is approved, it will be offered during our upcoming flu shot clinics, or we will schedule a separate CVS clinic dedicated to the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Why it’s important to sleeve up

“Sleeve Up Atria” – the name of our COVID-19 vaccination initiative – was created to generate excitement, encourage participation and stress the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. We believe vaccines are critical to the safety and well-being of everyone who lives and works in our communities, and that’s why we again want to make “sleeving up” as safe and easy as possible.

COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide, and the flu is an ongoing seasonal threat. These vaccines go a long way to keeping us all healthy.

For the more than 21,000 residents who call Atria home, the success of “Sleeve Up Atria” has translated into the confidence to enjoy meals and programs together.

“Knowing we are no longer in the thick of it and that we’re getting back to normal makes me sleep better at night,” Beverly, a resident at Atria Rancho Peñasquitos in San Diego, California, stated. “I’m still staying safe, but now getting out and about again, and feeling freer.”

High-dose flu vaccine will be offered

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 3-11% of the population falls ill with the flu every year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications. Older adults are especially vulnerable, which is why Atria is committed to helping residents stay healthy during flu season.

This year, we’ll once again offer residents the opportunity to receive the high-dose flu vaccination for seniors, though the normal flu vaccine will also be available.

Atria is at the ready

While details of what regulatory officials will recommend for the COVID-19 booster shot have not been finalized, the White House has pledged to make long-term care settings – such as nursing homes and senior living communities – a priority. Said Atria Chairman and CEO John Moore, “The bottom line is we’re ready to go as soon as formal approval happens.”

Editorial note: This blog has been updated to adjust errors that appeared in the original version.

Currently, around one million Americans live in some type of senior living community – a figure that’s expected to double by 2030, in part because senior living communities provide abundant mental, physical and emotional benefits that often allow older adults to thrive. Let’s walk through the process of deciding between staying at home or living in a community and touch on some of the benefits of making the switch.

Staying vs. moving

Weighing your options regarding whether to live at home or in a community can feel daunting. For that reason, it’s helpful to consider those options side by side to think through what the important aspects of your life will be like at home or in a community – aspects such as your social life, your dining options, your exercise routine, or the emergency assistance that you’ll be able to access.

Take, for instance, something as simple as housekeeping. At home, you may dedicate a lot of your time to household maintenance, whereas at a senior living community, the staff may provide all the housekeeping and linen services for you.

A change for the better

Once residents move into senior living communities, they often discover that they’ve made the right decision. Listen to Claudia, an Atria resident, who shares her story about how the stresses of being at home convinced her to move into a senior living community – and she’s loved it ever since.

“I don’t have to worry about anything, because everything’s taken care of for me,” she says. At home, she mostly watched TV. At Atria, she engages with other residents, enjoys “five-star meals,” and says that her daughter never worries about her. In Claudia’s words: “Come to a place where, anything you can think of, you have right here in front of you.”

The cost of waiting

Moving into a senior living community is a serious decision, and it only makes sense to be selective when it comes to choosing the right community. But waiting too long to arrive at a decision can also come with certain costs. Once residents and their families weigh the benefits of moving into a senior living community, the conclusions that they reach tend to point them in the direction of moving, after all. Benefitting from ongoing support and professional caregiving tends to revitalize residents and help them thrive.

Why moving makes sense

Residents who move into a senior living community often find that they enjoy the advantages that a home offers without having to shoulder the burdens of homeownership. Contact us today to learn why Atria might be the right option for you.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

It’s the entryway into the American dream – a home, a mortgage, a yard with a fence and hydrangeas blooming in the shade. Houses are now becoming harder to afford in many U.S. counties, so anyone who has put 20% down on a house and paid it off should feel proud to sit atop a lifetime of equity. The idea of right-sizing might seem counterintuitive, but right sizing can provide many benefits to older adults and their families. Read on for just a sampling of those benefits.

Less stress

Right-sizing can help you rescale so you no longer have to wrestle with the burden of home maintenance. In a senior living community, all of that work is taken care of for you, so you spend every day doing the things that bring you joy, whether that might be painting, playing cards or visiting with friends and family.

A safe lifestyle

One of the burdens of living at home is that it may become unsafe. A rambling, multilevel corner house where your kids grew up can now seem intimidatingly vast once those kids move out – and if you need to climb those stairs, the risk of a fall or an injury might go up. Right-sizing can help you move into a new space that’s more accessible and better suited to your needs and level of mobility.

 An organized space

Live in a house for thirty years and it’s easy to fill up hundreds of bankers’ boxes of memorabilia – letters, wedding photos, toddler rocking chairs. You’ll want to keep some of those things. But right sizing can help you rescale so you have just what you need. Throwing out clutter that piles up in rooms can help you rediscover the clarity that comes from living in a simple, organized space.

The benefit of senior living communities

When older adults are ready to right size, many of them choose to move into a senior living community like Atria, which provides all of the benefits that we’ve already mentioned – and more. Contact us today to learn why Atria might be the right option for you.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Atria Senior Living’s care services are backed by our industry-leading quality standards. In our communities that offer care services, the Resident Services Director – who is also a licensed nurse – assesses each resident’s physical, emotional and functional needs prior to move-in, and then on an as-needed basis following that initial care plan.

How assessments work

Because the well-being of residents is our top priority, we pride ourselves on the rigor with which we conduct assessments. Here’s how the process works:

• Prior to a new resident moving into Atria, a licensed nurse will visit the resident to review medications and develop an essential drug list.
• A physician will review the assessment before it’s shared with the resident and his or her family. Atria will conduct another assessment the day the new resident moves in, and add it into our system to help caregivers organize their days and meet residents’ needs.
• Following those initial assessments, Atria will conduct further assessments to determine whether a decrease or increase in care services is needed.

Discreet care is available 24 hours a day, and services generally fall into these three categories: personal care (bathing, grooming, getting dressed and safety checks); medication assistance (reminders, consultations with physicians and pharmacies and ongoing reviews with a nurse); and incontinent management (daytime and overnight assistance).

Some Atria communities also offer memory care, geared toward older adults experiencing the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Memory care neighborhoods are located in thoughtfully designed, secure spaces within a community.

Care and Engage Life^®

The Engage Life department adds another layer of support to the licensed nurses and caregivers within an Atria community.

“Engage Life and care and social work – they’re all interlocked,” Beth Levi, Engage Life Director at Atria Forest Hills, said. “In my role, I have the opportunity to monitor residents through the activities they’re doing. I see them on a daily basis. So if I notice a change in condition, I can coordinate with the care team.”

Engage Life Directors create programs and workshops that enhance residents’ lives through social connection and lifelong learning, which is one reason Levi is looped into the part of the assessment process for new or prospective residents: She learns about a resident’s care needs and assistance levels, and then personalizes the community events calendar so that there are plenty of opportunities tailored to each individual.

“When a new resident moves in, I take all the programs we offer, and then I go over it with them,” Levi said. “They pick out what they like and we make a personalized schedule, so when they move in, it’s all set in their minds – ‘This is what I’m going to be doing.’ The calendar is adaptable and changeable, and based upon their interests and needs.”

The Atria advantage

“The differentiator in Atria’s care is our preparation, our response, our protocols, our internal Quality Enhancement review process,” Joanna Mansfield, Atria’s Senior Vice President of Care and Life Guidance, shared. “We have stringent guidelines. We have checks and balances to make sure residents’ needs are being fulfilled.”

Those stringent guidelines are the result of being so attentive to residents’ well-being. When it comes to a community’s Resident Services Director, Atria only hires nurses with a clinical skill set and management experience who are also familiar with working with older adults. That attention to detail required in their jobs helps give nurses and caregivers the structure necessary to provide the best care for the world’s wisest people.

Discover how empowering the right care can be at Atria Senior Living at ExploreAtriaCare.com.

Talking to Mom or Dad about moving is the first challenge. Finding a community that offers what it takes to help them be happy and healthy is the next.

Atria Senior Living has been serving older adults and their families for more than 20 years. During that time, we have continually developed and refined key services and amenities the majority of seniors tend to prefer. Keep the following in mind when searching for the best option.

Nourishment comes in many forms

For many older adults, dining is at the top of their list. Making sure a community offers a variety of fresh, flavorful and nutritious options is a priority, and becomes even more important when an individual has special dietary restrictions.

Questions to consider include: Does the community’s meal preparations and table service fit your family member’s expectations? Do residents order from a menu with table service or are meals served buffet style? Is there a set meal each day of the week or a variety to choose from? Is the kitchen staff willing to go “off menu” for special requests? What are the kitchen’s hours? Can Mom or Dad get something to eat whenever they want?

Since dining experiences usually provide social nourishment, residents want the setting to be inviting and organized in a way that encourages connection with neighbors. Atria agrees and places a strong emphasis on bringing residents together.

Discuss these aspects of a community’s dining program with your mom or dad before making a final decision. We’ve found the overall dining experience can make a world of difference in their day-to-day life.

Discretion is advised

At Atria, we believe in treating each individual with the utmost respect and consideration. With this comes the expectation that any form of personal care a resident requires will be performed in a discreet, professional manner.

Gone are the days of waiting at a window for a little paper cup. Medications also should be provided in the privacy of a resident’s apartment.

Social engagement is a friend of good health

People are living longer than ever before, and today’s older adults expect, even demand, an active and engaging lifestyle. At Atria, we provide a monthly calendar tailored to their unique interests and talents of residents.

Social connection promotes intellectual stimulation, which is key to maintaining cognitive health in older adults. In fact, one critical reason many families give for choosing to move an older family member to senior living is the lack of social interaction they experience living at home alone.

Atria encourages families to review the events calendars at communities you’re considering. The activity program should include a variety of events, including regular group activities such as yoga and strength-training classes, book clubs, volunteer opportunities, day trips and arts and crafts workshops, for example. Also, find out if staff members at the community are willing and dedicated to making sure your parent leaves their apartment often enough to get involved, meet new people and make friends.

Location, location, location

People of all ages appreciate when familiar faces are nearby so consider the community’s physical location. One of the main concerns older people have is staying close to family and friends. Knowing people in the area where you live creates an atmosphere of safety and security.

It’s natural to spend time outside

Many seniors also want to live in a community where they can safely spend time outdoors. Whether it’s a recreation area or park, a walking path, courtyard or pool area, older adults enjoy spending time in nature. Like all of us, seniors prefer to see a lovely view of their surroundings through their windows.

Go for a test drive

The best way to choose a community that’s right for your older family member is to visit as many as possible in the locations you prefer. Request a tour and the opportunity to sample lunch or dinner. Chat with residents. Review their events calendar. Make notes about each experience to compare later. Do your homework and the ideal community will reveal itself. Happy hunting!

Making the decision to move oneself or a loved one to an assisted living community is difficult. It is not a decision to be made lightly. For those who need just a little assistance with day-to-day activities, moving to assisted living may be the best option. Caregivers can provide help with hygiene, dressing, feeding, movement, transportation, money management, shopping, meal preparation, and timing medications.

Although some seniors only need help with a few of these things, assisted living ensures that such seniors have help available without curtailing their independence. This transition checklist provides some things to consider before making the decision to move oneself or a loved one to an active assisted living community:

1. How much help does the senior need?

Shopping, transportation, meal preparation, and other such assistance may be easily implemented into a family member’s schedule. Whether the senior is living alone or with family, there are often family members who can take time every couple of days to help with simple tasks. On the other hand, some tasks require almost constant help. If a senior needs help with feeding, personal hygiene, and using the bathroom, it may be unreasonable for the family to provide all of this help.

2. How does the senior feel about asking family for help?

Although family may be able to provide the needed help, some seniors are sensitive about burdening their loved ones. This is why two similar situations may require different outcomes for different seniors. It is important to take the senior’s feelings into account.

3. Where do the senior’s loved ones live?

Many seniors may not wish to leave the town or neighborhood where they have lived for so long. Loved ones should be sensitive to this concern. If a senior can no longer live independently but does not want to move where close family members live, an assisted living care solution may be the best option. It allows seniors to stay in the locale of their choice without sacrificing needed care.

4. Which option is most affordable?

Depending on the needs of the individual and the cost of assisted living care, moving to assisted living may or may not be the most affordable choice. Although finances should not dictate where the senior lives, money is an important factor to weigh against all other factors. Assisted living communities are often less expensive than caring for the senior at home because caregivers provide help to many seniors each day.

Choosing to move oneself or a loved one to an assisted living community is rarely easy, but it is a decision that can be made with confidence. By taking into account the level of help that is needed, the attitude of the senior, the location of family members, and the costs of each option, seniors and their loved ones can make a decision that is in the best interest of all involved.

Atria Senior Living is a leading provider of independent and assisted living communities nationwide. If you are considering a transition to assisted living, Atria can help. Find an Atria Senior Living community near you today.