How do you ensure your personal space in your day-to-day life? Privacy is important to all of us and even more important to seniors who may feel they're losing their autonomy. According to AARP, most seniors wish to age in their homes, where they have a guarantee of personal space.
How can you ensure senior independence and assisted living privacy in seniors? The best way is by communicating clearly, respecting boundaries, and understanding where the limits of personal space are.
If you're curious about personalized senior care, we're here to help. Read on for a full guide on privacy and personal space in senior living accommodations.
One of the greatest concerns over senior personal space is the belief that they won't have private rooms. A myth persists that seniors are often placed in bunks to maximize space.
That myth comes from the belief that assisted living communities work to have as many residents as possible for income. While this is an understandable misconception, it's parallel to reality.
Most communities have a cap on how many residents they can have. The cap is in place for safety and comfort. An overcrowded assisted living community becomes unpleasant quickly, as well as being dangerous to those making use of assisted living.
One way the cap also works is to ensure there are private rooms for seniors. These rooms help to ensure assisted living privacy and senior independence by giving the residents a room where they can fully enjoy their own company.
That isn't to say that there are no joint rooms in some communities, but private rooms are much more common. Residents also will often have staff and attendants that come room to room for a variety of reasons.
According to UT News, studies show that seniors are happiest when their space matches their personality. Private rooms give us the ability to ensure such a benefit.
Are you not a fan of having people come to your room? You can speak to the staff about whether you'd like them to be able to do such a thing.
Seeking consent to interact is crucial for staff in an assisted living community. Staff are not there to override your autonomy and disregard your consent.
If you don't want any staff to interact with you beyond the bare necessities, then communicate such a thing. It's exceptionally rare for the staff to ignore your wishes and interact anyway.
That said, don't expect this to always be the case. If you're in danger or are experiencing an emergency, staff may not look for consent.
An example is if you've fallen and need medical assistance. You shouldn't expect staff to sit back and watch you struggle just because you've requested they not help you walk. Instead, they'll do everything in their power to get you the assistance you need.
One level of seeking consent is to maintain and respect boundaries. You can speak to staff and attendants about where your boundaries are.
By doing so, you give a clear-cut line on what they can and can't help you with. That can help erase any ambiguity on whether they should assist you.
Again, you shouldn't expect them to simply stand aside in case of emergency. But some people feel more comfortable when it's clear there are times they shouldn't interact with you. Some examples are:
Communicate these boundaries with staff to clearly show when they can or can't help you. That way, they won't bother you when you don't want their assistance. At the same time, they'll know when you're doing something that you wouldn't mind assistance with.
If you have a private room, how can you communicate with your assistants? The best way is through non-verbal cues.
Non-verbal cues are ones that don't require any verbal communication for your staff to recognize them. A common example is a sign on your door that asks attendants not to enter.
According to HelpGuide.org, nonverbal communication helps to improve trust, clarity, and rapport. These are crucial for communicating well with your staff.
Some communities also use an out-of-room system for such signals. Having a card you can turn to a certain color if you're okay with being approached is one example.
It's important for residents to be respectful when using non-verbal cues. Whistling or snapping to get a staff member's attention is considered exceptionally rude, for example. Ensure you're communicating with the respect you would like to be shown as well.
When it comes to senior independence, personalized senior care is the most important factor. You can always ensure your personal space if you have a personalized plan.
Personalization will allow you to set your own boundaries, create a time when you're accepting assistance, and more. You'll need to communicate this clearly with the attendants.
You should also remember when personalization is or isn't allowed. An effective staff won't let you "personalize" your care to the point of being ineffective.
To that end, it's important to understand when your independence is being infringed and when you simply need assistance. It isn't the goal of any staff member to remove your autonomy, but there are times when they'll need to assist you.
If you're recovering from an injury, you may need more assistance than usual. Speak with your staff about updating your usual protocols so you can come to a new agreement. That way, when you've recovered, they can begin to shift back to your previous boundaries.
Understanding personal space means setting boundaries and limits and trusting your assistants to respect them. You should also be prepared to bend your limits in times of emergency or when you need to update your care protocols.
At Addington Place of Shoal Creek, we're proud to provide a nurturing retirement community in Kansas City, MO. Our community offers a world where seniors can enjoy their retirement with a fulfilling, enriching lifestyle. Contact us to see how we can help you get the care you deserve.