Senior Living in San Antonio: What Support Looks Like at Every Stage

San Antonio senior living provides a continuum of care that supports aging from assisted living through memory care and, when needed, memory care, all within one city. In contrast to making sudden or disruptive changes, this tiered approach enables older adults in San Antonio to gradually modify their living arrangements as their needs change.

A retirement community in San Antonio has a lot to offer. Local seniors looking for senior care in Texas often come to the city because of the favorable climate. According to Current Results, the city rarely experiences a day below freezing.

But, there's more to the local assisted living options than just great weather. Seniors are also attracted to senior living in San Antonio because of how it facilitates continuous care throughout every stage of retirement.

Senior Living in San Antonio: The Stages of Support

Senior living in San Antonio is all about support that grows in layers. Aging isn't a switch being flipped. Support needs emerge slowly; it's not like you move into assisted living on day one of retirement.

Many seniors initially choose aging in place. According to the CDC, this is when seniors continue to live at home, but they modify their environment for safety, convenience, and comfort. Given San Antonio's generous tax environment for senior property owners, many older property owners find themselves in a good financial position in retirement.

But aging in place has its limits. Seniors with mobility problems or cognitive decline may struggle to navigate their home safely, even with robust safety features and senior-friendly layouts. The next step is moving into assisted living.

Many seniors make the move after an incident like a fall or after becoming socially isolated and lonely. In cases like these, seniors often make a significant recovery when they move into a new community.

According to the Texas HHS, Texas senior living communities are suitable for people who need help with housekeeping, cooking meals, or personal care. There are also more specialized communities available for seniors with more specialized needs because of cognitive decline.

Senior Care in Texas: Aging in Place in Focus

Seniors who decide to age in place will usually start making modifications to their home. This approach is quite attractive for seniors who have grown quite attached to their home. Modifications to the home might include:

• Grab bars are often put in the shower and near the toilet to help seniors avoid slipping.
• To keep seniors from tripping, many put down non-slip flooring or use tape or pads to hold down loose rugs.
• Older adults can upgrade the lighting in entryways, stairwells, and hallways by installing motion sensor lights and brighter bulbs.
• People over 65 may switch to door handles and faucet handles with levers because they are easier to use for those with arthritis or weak grips.

Aging in place usually works out best when you make these changes early. The more senior-friendly safety features you install, the longer aging in place stays viable. But remember, no matter how many modifications you make, some support needs require a professional touch.

Moving into Assisted Living

Unlike aging in place, which involves making modifications to an existing home, senior living communities have a fundamentally senior-friendly design. Experts in comfortable and safe senior living come together to design a community from the ground up with the needs of older adults in mind.

Here are some of the ways the community supports a protective aging experience:

• Some communities have wider hallways, no-step routes, and bathrooms so that people who are having trouble moving around can do so more safely.
• Pathways and floors are carefully selected to minimize slipping, and surface transitions are minimized to prevent tripping.
• For stability, handrails are often installed in key places like hallways and along longer walking paths.
• Lighting is designed to improve visibility and comfort, with bright, even lighting during the day and low-level lighting at night to prevent falls.
• Staff can help residents right away if they need it, so they don't have to worry about being alone in an emergency.
• People can get help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, grooming, and going to the bathroom in a way that doesn't take away their dignity.

These critical safety features come together to eliminate the small risks that can cause huge setbacks. There's nothing seniors can do to ensure safety and comfort than moving into a specially designed community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assisted Living Suitable for Those With Cognitive Decline?

According to the Alzheimer's Association, those in the early stages of cognitive decline might be able to live in assisted living. But seniors in the later stages absolutely need specialist support. Assisted living communities can create a safe, supportive environment, but the staff lack training and insight into memory conditions.

Seniors with early cognitive decline should consider senior communities like The Haven & The Laurels. These communities suit their needs as they can transition from assisted living to memory care when the need arises.

What are Some of the Signs a Senior Should Consider Memory Care?

Senior caregivers should be aware of the signs of possible cognitive decline. Here are some of the signs that moving into memory care makes sense:

• Wandering off from home or the neighborhood or becoming lost in familiar places.
• Taking the wrong dose of medicine or forgetting to take their medications
• Noticeable changes in judgment, such as unsafe cooking, giving away money, or falling for scams.
• Growing difficulty with routine activities such as getting dressed, taking a shower, or using the restroom in the right order.
• Noticeable behavior alterations, such as new or worsening aggression.

If you notice any of these signs, it's best to speak with a medical professional.

Discover Supportive Senior Living in San Antonio

The Best senior living in San Antonio offers tiered support that allows local seniors to progress through different support tiers as their needs change. Such an approach helps maximize independence and safety. 

If you're interested in seeing this approach for yourself, consider The Haven & The Laurels in Stone Oak, where we offer everything from assisted living services to memory care. As an added bonus for military veterans, we offer a generous veterans' discount on the rent. 

Contact us today, and let's set up a tour.