Moving can be stressful for seniors who might not have the mental and physical capacity to deal with the change. However, those who opt for senior retirement villages and residences live comfortably with great peace of mind knowing they will receive “continuum of care” services.

Senior living communities who provide continuum of care services offer an array of living, health, and medical care facilities within a single residential campus. Reputed retirement villages offer residents a full continuum of care, including assisted living, personal care services, wellness programs, home care, nursing, long-term care, occupational therapy, and more.

Among these services, skilled nursing might include short-term rehabilitation programs like helping the elderly recover from surgery, injury, or illness. Due to the needs of seniors beyond physical aspects, attendants are expected to have training on the mental aspects, preferably someone who finished an online degree in mental health nursing or other relevant specializations. Assisted living services also come under continuum of care where the elderly are given memory care and personal care for smooth day-to-day living.

Continuum of care is not just limited to health and medical facilities but can extend to maintenance-free living quarters that come with senior-friendly amenities and features. These residential communities, also known as retirement villages, bring together people of the same age group to live and enjoy their second innings of life.

These retirement communities promote independent living with continuum of care services at the resident’s disposal. They can enjoy living in tight-knit communities with the peace of mind of knowing that top-notch health and medical assistance are available on-site whenever they need it.

The Importance of Choosing a Retirement Village with Continuum of Care Services

In this article, we will discuss four factors that detail why choosing a retirement village with a continuum of care senior services is important.

• Maintaining Existing Relationships

Living within the same community allows elderly residents to maintain and continue the relationships built over time. This includes the neighbours and the retirement village staff with whom the residents are comfortable with.

Such bonds are extremely important to maintain, especially as senior residents are often subjected to isolation and loneliness and require assistance to settle down in the community. 

• Multiple Levels of Care and Living Facilities

Compared to retirement communities that only provide basic living and medical services, retirement villages with continuum of care facilities adapt to the changing needs of their residents.

For instance, you might need personal assistance for daily chores or transportation at any given point in time. A retirement village with continuum of care services will offer diverse levels of care, like assisted living and transportation as and when you need it. You will not have to look for care providers for such tasks alone.

So, no more adapting to unfamiliar places and people to get through day-to-day work. Also, suppose you need a higher level of nursing or medical care. In that case, you can be assured that they are available within the compound of your retirement village.

• Staying With Your Life Partner

Let’s say an elderly couple who is relatively healthy and active chooses to move into a retirement village. They might not need advanced medical or health care at this point. However, one partner might soon require personal or assisted care to live their daily life.

The continuum of care allows the couple to remain together in the retirement village and take advantage of all its amenities without leaving the campus.

Quite often, elderly couples are forced to live in separate retirement communities due to different medical and personal needs. While receiving all the care and attention they need, they can stay together in a retirement village that provides an optimal continuum of care services.

Only with the help of a continuum of care can they dine together, take walks together, and stay connected to their families and friends.

• 360-Degree Facilities

If you think that continuum of care is limited to just medical and health facilities, you could not be more wrong. In a reputed and well-rounded retirement village, amenities like access to clubhouses and swimming pools also fall under the continuum of care. 

Residents of these communities enjoy access to casual and formal dining settings, wellness programs, dedicated spaces for crafts and arts, and fitness equipment. Apart from these, the continuum of care services could potentially include:

• * A resident-maintained library,
• * Places of worship,
• * Spas and pools,
• * Beauty salons, or
• * Presentations from renowned entertainers and speakers.

With advancing age, the essence of continuum of care becomes all the more important. So, if you are looking for retirement villages, choose the ones that offer these services. Also go through the services provided under the continuum of care to see if you will get everything you require or might need in the future.