Can Assisted Living Help Prevent Repeated Trips to the Emergency Room?

It is not uncommon for older adults to require frequent visits to the emergency room. Moving to an assisted living community can help prevent some of them.

It’s an unfortunate truth that older adults are much more likely to require trips to the emergency room than younger people. Though some of these trips are inevitable, others are preventable under the right conditions. Assisted living communities provide an environment that may help to keep seniors from making frequent ER visits.

4 Ways Assisted Living Helps Prevent Trips to the Emergency Room

Here are a few ways an assisted living community help seniors avoid the hospital:

Medication Management Support

For most people, the number of daily medications required for optimum health increases with age. Not surprisingly, this can lead to a great deal of confusion, especially when medications have different dosage amounts and are taken at differing times throughout the day.

Unfortunately, this confusion can be dangerous. Mistakes with medication is a leading reason older adults end up in the emergency room. Most assisted living communities offer medication management services that help residents stay safely on track with their medication.

Living Environments Specifically Designed to Decrease Falls

Falls are the number one cause of injury among older adults in the United States and one of the most common reasons they end up in the emergency room. Additionally, falls account for a great deal of anxiety on the part of both older adults and their families.

From bathroom grab bars to walk-in showers and handrails in the walkways, assisted living communities are designed to help protect residents against dangerous falls. The result is increased peace of mind and fewer trips to the hospital.

Improved Health Through Better Nutrition

Inadequate nutrition can render older adults much more susceptible to illnesses and injuries that lead to emergency room visits. Seniors who live alone and don’t eat nutritious meals can be at greater risk for repeated hospital visits, costly medical bills, and fall-related injuries.

Assisted living communities address this concern by providing thoughtfully designed, nutritious meals. These meals help to not only improve the overall well-being of assisted living residents, but to create opportunities for socializing with friends in the dining room.

Assisted Living Wellness Programs

Most assisted living communities offer onsite wellness programs. These programs take a holistic approach to overall well-being. At Legacy Senior Living communities, we are committed to quality care. From fall prevention programs to our service standards, we help residents live their best life.