Personalising Care: How Aged Care Facilities Cater to Individual Needs

Every aged care facility is equipped with amenities that can provide a high standard of personalised care to their elderly patients. This level of care varies from person to person, recognising the distinct needs and preferences of each individual.

The reason for this is simple: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to caregiving, especially when it comes to senior patients. From medication management to dietary restrictions, there’s a heavy emphasis on personalising care to fit the needs of the patients.

When care is given at optimal levels, patients can flourish and maintain a high level of happiness and dignity. Most of all, it offers both patients and their families peace of mind knowing that their senior-aged relative is under a good standard of care.

With that said, how far do these facilities go to personalise their level of care? What are the different amenities present in these facilities that set it apart from care received at home?

Let’s explore how these facilities provide aged care in more detail.

1. Medication Management

Every patient has individual health battles to face. Considering these nuances, it’s critical for caregivers to be informed of the health status of the patient and to provide the right standard of care to them daily. A big component of this is proper medication management.

Specifically, these aged care facilities first acquire a full comprehensive view of the patient’s health status. They gather data regarding the patient’s specific conditions, their prescriptions, supplements, allergies, and other health aspects they have to monitor. 

The patient’s old physician often provides a document detailing the patient’s medical history to let them be up to speed regarding the matter. There are also usually talks beforehand between the patient’s family and the aged care facility to communicate health information.

This information then gets trickled down to the designated healthcare providers who supervise the patient’s day-to-day living. Information like prescriptions and health history is also kept inside an internal database that’s accessible across the other clinics within the aged care facility’s premises. This helps streamline personalised aged care and lays the foundation for a better and more targeted treatment plan.

2. Accommodation Type

One of the most customisable aspects of aged care is the elderly individual’s own room and accommodation.

Some elderly folks have the convenience of staying at home and receiving aged care from there. A few could get elderly care in daycare centres and return home once evening rolls around. Most individuals, however, are expected to relocate to dedicated aged care facilities to receive care.

The types of accommodation these individuals can live in vary based on the type of aged care residence they’re staying in, the budget, and the room’s availability.

Some elderly individuals can have compact studio-type units with senior-friendly furniture like bathroom railings. Others could have more spacious units with their own lounge and kitchenette. 

In some cases, elderly patients may even have a condition-specific room to help improve a patient’s quality of life and provide comfort and care according to their needs. For instance, some aged care facilities offer rooms intended for patients with dementia and neurological diseases.

At the end of the day, the accommodation an individual can stay in also depends on their chosen aged care facility. Be sure to research the rooms beforehand and select the one that best suits your needs.

3. Dietary Preferences

Another way aged care facilities cater to individual needs is through providing proper meal plans. As we age, our sensitivity to foods becomes more pronounced, making dietary preferences and restrictions increasingly important.

In the family household, this sensitivity can be hard to navigate, especially if chronic conditions impede the ability of the elderly individual to eat what the rest of the family is eating. This is made harder by adult children juggling other responsibilities like work and kids, making it difficult for elderly people to maintain a regular eating schedule.

However, staying in an aged care facility ensures this won't be a problem. These professional establishments have kitchens and trained chefs who can prepare food that any senior is fit for any diet plan.

Furthermore, elderly individuals who need specialised diets—with some examples being low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, or gluten-free options—can have their meals made to meet these specific needs.

This is because the facility works hand-in-hand with dietitians and nutritionists to create meal plans that adhere to medical requirements and cater to personal preferences.

No matter what your diet restrictions are, aged care facilities can craft the best meals to help make your dining experience pleasant. The meals, naturally, are also healthy and delicious. This gives you and your family peace of mind knowing that your food needs are met.

4. Emotional and Mental Health Support

There’s no set way of mentally curing a person’s distress. This is especially true for seniors in aged care units, as they have to combat family separation, health problems, and a slew of other things that cause mental health problems.

Fortunately, aged care facilities have mental health professionals and therapists in clinics who have been medically trained to assess, diagnose, evaluate, and manage symptoms of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. 

If there’s conflict at home, these constant fights can be a great source of anxiety and depression. Conversely, moving to aged care facilities grants these seniors access to medical professionals who can help significantly improve their outlook on daily life.

In any case, aged care facilities have mental health specialists who can ensure that your elderly relative’s mental needs are taken care of. They’re also all within the premises of the facility, meaning that the patient doesn’t have to travel far or rely on their family to drive them to access a mental health consultation.

5. Personalised Activity Schedules

Staying holed up in a room day in and day out is not the best way to live, even for the elderly. If they’re physically active and want to engage with people and the outdoors, then having a plan of action each day of the week can help them have something to look forward to each day.

Many aged care facilities cater to this inherent desire for pleasure by creating recreational spaces for elderly residents to gather, connect, play, and socialise. Many of these facilities, for instance, have a public lounge where people can play board games or converse amongst themselves.

Some residences also have wide open spaces where seniors can engage in sports and exercise, like golf courses and senior-friendly gyms. In some cases, there are game rooms where elderly individuals can play weekly-held games like bingo to pass the time.

Aged care facilities aren’t prisons; they’re places where seniors can sleep, stay healthy, and enjoy their time. The senior’s caregiver can also help plan out schedules fit for their patient’s needs, allowing them to have a stimulating and fun experience within the premises.

6. Physical Therapy and Exercise Programs

While age weakens the body, it’s not something the elderly should resign themselves to accept. Exercising is just as important as eating, and it’s essential to incorporate some strength and stamina exercises in one’s weekly routine to ensure that they’re in top shape.

Aged care facilities recognise this and host programs to help their senior residents remain physically active. They may hire gym trainers who can offer strength training, dance workouts, yoga, and many other activities that get the body active and moving.

Besides that, elderly individuals also have a physical therapist who can help seniors create a personalised exercise plan to enhance the mental and physical well-being of the patient. These exercise plans consider the health of the senior and are all built to ensure that residents enjoy a higher quality of life through tailored exercise programs.

7. Caregiver Assignments

Every senior is assigned their own caregiver that takes care of their needs, whether it’s chores or medication management.

These caregivers, naturally, must be attuned to the needs of the senior patient and their specific needs. They tend to follow a strict routine to effectively perform their care duties, all while balancing a sense of compassion and care for their assigned patient.

Having the right caregiver match is crucial to ensure the elderly person’s wellness and emotional well-being. This can mean having one that fits the personality of the patient and one that takes excellent care of them. 

With the right caregiver, the patient’s quality of life can be greatly enhanced. This, in turn, makes living in the aged care facility a much more pleasant experience.