What Does Resident-Centered Care Mean?
As you begin doing your research on what assisted living community you might want to live in, you may come across the term “resident-centered care.” It might be a term that appears straightforward when you first read it: care that is focused on what the resident decides, rather than having the assisted living community personnel or staff make decisions, medical or otherwise, on the resident’s behalf.
While that’s the short definition, what does it mean specifically and in broader context for the communities at BridgeWater Assisted Living? We’re happy to answer that question for you. Here are five facts about what resident-centered care means for us.
Fact #1: Residents Decide What They Want To Do
You get to plan your day based on what you want to do. To us, having a resident-focused approach means offering opportunities and options, without making our residents do anything they don’t want to do. If you’re an introvert and you want to spend the whole day in the library, you’re certainly welcome to. If you want to spend most of your day out exploring the wider world, we won’t stop you.
Or maybe you’re a big proponent of engaging in volunteering in local community events—we relish creating opportunities for our residents to engage in local activities, whether you’re interested in the philanthropy, the volunteering, or the local community (or all three!). Our residents are as independent as they want to be.
The bottom line is that we don’t want to hold you back from doing something that you love and that will help you thrive in mind and spirit. And if you’d rather stay in and gather with your newfound friends and fellow residents, we have plenty of common spaces that are both beautiful and functional for your party.
Fact #2: Variety of Community Amenities Serve Residents
If you do stay in, we have amenities galore to hold your interest. If you have errands to run, you may not need to leave the community at all. For instance, in our newest community at Deer Valley, we have a community dining room (offering three chef-prepared meals daily), a bistro coffee lounge, a movie theatre, a business center, a beauty salon, and a happy hour bar. There’s also a beautiful outdoor courtyard and a library stocked with books and magazines. In the community’s wellness center, you can meet with your own therapist or one of ours or have your own workout session.
Of course, there’s also the front desk concierge and housekeeping services, which give even greater peace of mind now that you don’t have to do your own dusting and vacuuming. Our resident focus here is that you can let us take care of the heavy lifting now so that you are free to skip off on an adventure, whether that’s reading a book, watching a movie, enjoying happy hour, or going on a day-trip to the golf course.
Fact #3: Provided Transportation Gives Residents Freedom
If you’re of the adventurous sort and you’d prefer to explore the city, we have options to get you there. Maybe you’ve decided you’re better off without a car. Well, we can arrange transportation for you. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants, stores, shops, places of worship, healthcare providers, and other medical services nearby so you can get there under your own power or we can assist you.
For instance, our Deer Valley location is located conveniently close to the Phoenix Metrocenter, a regional enclosed shopping mall that includes 100 stores, a food court, and a 12-screen movie theatre. We can also set up transportation if there’s a scheduled outing, such as a group trip to a museum or a theatre performance, or if you’d like to explore any of the parks, golf courses, or walking trails around Phoenix. Wherever you’d like to go, we can arrange for you to get there.
Fact #4: Residents Have a Say in Their Care
At BridgeWater Assisted Living, we strongly believe that each resident feels much safer and in control when they’re the ones driving their destiny. Our residents make their own decisions about the care and services they receive. Medical appointments are on your timetable, and your care team is welcome to visit if you feel more comfortable having them come to you. If you’re already used to meeting with a particular therapist or coach, you’re both welcome to meet in your apartment or to use our amenities, including the onsite wellness and therapy center.
Of course, if you want to visit your physician’s offices, we can arrange for transportation for you. Meanwhile, we also offer a range of daily activities to keep our residents’ minds and bodies active, but attendance is up to you.
Fact #5: Emergency Response System Serves Each Resident
No matter what level of care you may require, we’re here to give you a hand to make your day-to-day living as comfortable and worry-free as possible. Sometimes, the best care can seem invasive so we’ve developed a revolutionary personal emergency call system.
Each BridgeWater Assisted Living apartment is equipped with this system, but you may not even notice it as you go about your day. This technology provides critical data about each resident to their care team so that any changes can be detected and any concerns addressed before they become a problem. These data points include information about how residents sleep, toileting, and other daily activities. Once our staff is alerted to any changes, we’re able to notify the resident so they and their care team can decide what may be done, and the resident may be able to avoid an ER visit or hospitalization.
As you can see, we’re not just a pretty place when it comes to assisted living in Phoenix, Arizona. Our staff and personnel care deeply that our residents have the retirement and the care—whether it’s medical or related to mental health—they need to enjoy a higher quality of life. Contact us today so we can answer your questions, set up a tour, or give you directions to visit.