Safety and Security: How Senior Living Communities Offer Peace of Mind

When you’re choosing a senior living community, there are many things you want and need. After all, this will be the place you or a loved one will soon call home.

One often overlooked aspect of senior living communities is the safety and security they offer. This provides greater ease and peace of mind not only for residents, but for their loved ones.

Senior living safety and security are a major focus in many communities.

At MorseLife, we believe seniors deserve to feel protected, supported, and at ease. That’s why we take senior living safety and security to heart in our communities.

With state-of-the-art security systems, highly trained staff, unobtrusive monitoring, and continuous support—our community members rest easy, knowing they never need worry about their safety on our campus.

We also ​offer free resources to support seniors and their loved ones. Knowledge is powerful and can positively contribute to feelings of safety and security.

Feeling safe is important to most people. But what we require to nurture a sense of safety and security may evolve as we age. Many seniors need more daily support and assistance to achieve the security they deserve for quality of life.

Statistically, seniors are at increased risk of serious injuries from falls. Older adults also experience falls more often than younger adults. This may be due to changes in physical abilities, eyesight, or balance.

The good news is most falls in older adults are preventable. This is a major reason senior living communities take fall prevention seriously and provide ways to reduce fall risks in residents, like safety modifications and staff training.

Seniors also have other safety and security concerns. These may include managing their daily medications, feeling safe in their own home, worries about forgetfulness, and concerns about venturing into their larger community.

Thankfully, caring for the comprehensive safety needs of residents is foundational in the offerings of senior living communities. Safety and security are important for residents at all levels of senior living and care.

• Independent Living residents are looking for a community and campus they feel safe to navigate freely, both day and night. They want security features like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, security guards, and a safe campus environment that protects them and their belongings.
• Assisted Living residents want the same things as Independent Living residents, but they also require the security of easily accessible assistance and support from trained caregivers and healthcare professionals. They require the safety of professional medication management, and the security of knowing someone is always close by to assist them with completing their activities of daily living.
• Memory Care community members typically require consistent support and care to ensure their safety and security. Quality Memory Care communities provide around the clock care and treat residents with respect and personalized support. Memory Care residents often require assistance with most daily tasks, and benefit from environments that feel home-like to promote calm and a sense of familiarity. Memory Care residents may also have confusion, forgetfulness, and wandering behaviors, so security features to ensure their safety are vital in this setting.

Now that you know why senior living safety measures are important at each level of senior living and care, let’s review some security features you’re likely to encounter in your senior living search.

Senior living communities offer a variety of safety and security features to their residents.

You can generally expect your senior living community to offer some type of emergency call system, a secure campus, and access to healthcare and medical professionals.

Some communities include personal safety features, such as visual and auditory monitoring systems for residents with cognitive challenges or physical issues.

This might include pressure sensors for residents who are unsafe to stand unassisted, or bed alarms to notify staff if a resident has gotten out of bed and may need support from trained staff to remain safe and steady.

Many communities also offer residents easily accessible ways to contact staff for assistance as needed. This often means wearable devices like call pendants and bracelets that residents can press to send a signal to staff that immediate assistance is required.

Safety and security measures in senior living can also be personalized for a resident’s unique risks and needs. This may mean a doctor writes an order for a resident to be evaluated and treated by a skilled therapist.

Professionals like physical and occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists often work in senior living communities. They are trained to assess and treat a wide range of issues that affect seniors.

Safety and security modifications can be implemented for a resident’s safety, based on a therapist’s recommendations.

These senior living safety measures can include:

• A physical therapist ordering a walker for a patient who needs more safety and stability to safely ambulate within the community
• An occupational therapist ordering and fitting a wrist brace for a patient in need, or work on improving their range of motion with exercises
• A speech and language pathologist modifying a person’s diet if they’re unsafe to consume regular foods and liquids without risks for choking or aspiration. They may develop and train a resident and staff in the use of assistive communication devices if a resident needs support to effectively communicate their wants and needs

These are just some of the ways skilled rehabilitation therapists support senior living residents’ safety and security.

If you’re interested in receiving skilled therapy services for yourself or a loved one in senior living, it’s wise to reach out directly to your community to see what they offer.

If you’re a MorseLife community member and are ever in need of short-term rehabilitation services following a hospitalization, illness, or injury, you can access top-quality recovery services and care right on our MorseLife campus in our exceptional short-term rehab center.

Our residents at every level of living can also receive skilled therapy services on an outpatient basis,​ thanks to our full continuum of care. This ​​​ensure​s that​ you can feel your best and live your healthiest, most active life.

Because MorseLife means more life!

Everyone deserves to enjoy life in safety and security. Your definitions of these terms may change or expand as you age.

For example: younger adults may conceptualize safety and security to involve home safety measures and devices like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and security systems to deter intruders.

Older adults with daily needs may include things like accessibility features and modifications and increased personal assistance to this list.

This can include things like:

• Grab bars in the bathroom
• Nonslip rugs
• A shower seat
• Elevated commode with handrails
• Lowered bed to reduce risks of injury from a fall

It can also involve support like:

• A walker, wheelchair, or cane
• Personal assistance with activities of daily living (such as a caregiver to help them get dressed, bathe, and safely use the toilet)
• A call bell, pendant, or wrist device to alert caregivers when assistance is needed

Older adults may have increased needs when it comes to fulfilling their safety and security requirements. And that’s exactly what we offer, here at MorseLife.

• We deliver peace of mind to the Independent Living resident who recently lost her husband and is concerned she may need some extra support in the evenings to feel safe in her apartment alone…
• We sit with the Assisted Living resident who feels unsure about taking his daily medications safely. We help by showing him safe swallowing strategies, or offering to put his pills in something like applesauce or pudding to help them go down easier…
• We offer a helping hand to guide the Memory Care resident to a group activity we know she’ll enjoy, ensuring she gets there safely and can participate at her own ability level…
• We notice when a resident seems less steady on his feet when walking and may benefit from a consultation with one of our therapists to help him stay safe and maintain his independence…
• We connect with the family of a resident who may need some extra reminders to help her remember not to try to get up from her bed or chair without assistance, so she’s not at risk of falling but also feels her personal wishes are honored…

Each day, we ensure all our community members at every level of living and care feel supported and cared for—with respect and compassion.

While all our communities have state-of-the-art safety and security features, we also believe in personalizing our safety and security offerings for each resident. At MorseLife, we take both a macro and micro approach to safety in our community.

Loved ones of our Assisted Living and Memory Care residents savor the peace of mind that comes with knowing we provide customized, considerate, comprehensive care, around the clock. Our Assisted Living and Memory Care residents know they are safe, supported, and valued at all times and that help is always available to them.

Our Independent Living residents enjoy freedom from worry and the ability to create a lifestyle of ease that fits who they are now. We are here to uplift and empower them to live life on their terms. It’s amazing what active older adults can do when they’re freed from the concerns, stress, and demands that sapped their energy and drained their time when they were aging in place at home.

MorseLife is more than just a collection of top-quality senior living communities. ​We also offer a full continuum of care.​​

Through MorseLife Health System, you can access senior health, wellness, and care services like:

• Palliative care
• Hospice care
• Long-term care
• Home health care
• and so much more!

These extensive offerings add to the sense of security our residents and their loved ones enjoy. They know they have ready access to any health and wellness services they may require—both now and in the future.

And knowing you’ll always receive the care and support you need is the foundation of safety and security as an older adult.

At MorseLife, we proudly deliver comprehensive senior living safety and security to our valued community members and their loved ones.

We take senior living safety and security seriously at MorseLife. Come experience the difference at our wonderful West Palm Beach senior living community! ​ Reach out to us with any questions. We’ll gladly help you to feel secure in your senior living decision.