Optimizing senior independent living
Telehealth and in-home assisted living services make it more than a senior apartment.
As seniors continue their life journey, finding services that meet their needs is essential to selecting a place to call home. Most want to remain independent for as long as possible, with many seeking the sense of community and access to amenities that come with apartment living. But with just a few additional services folded into the design, senior apartments can be so much more, providing the health care support and assistance residents seek as time passes. As a result, developers who take a thoughtful approach to senior living community construction can retain tenants longer by enabling them to age in place, and they may even attract residents on the cusp of life changes who can’t anticipate their future needs.
From a simple flat to much more: how to make the most of senior apartments
With the addition of telehealth and in-home assisted living services to a senior living community, developers can expand their marketability to a broader adult market and increase their appeal. Doing so requires careful thought and planning, and the help of a trusted design-build firm can ensure you make the most of the opportunity. Let’s look at these two service lines, what they encompass, and how you can expand your senior housing development vision to include these options.
Telehealth services: a possible fit for senior housing
Independent living and assisted living tenants tend to be healthier than their nursing home counterparts, but health care is still an essential part of their lives. Telehealth services can help tenants cut their transportation costs and increase convenience while also potentially expanding their access to a spectrum of providers. Telehealth proved its effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming how health care was delivered even to patients with complex health conditions. As the ability to leverage this connectivity improves, so too will the capabilities of the healthcare delivery system.
High-level integration of services helps incorporate telehealth offerings. When done right, this can allow for emergency consults, specialty care, and video appointments. The outcome? Tenants may reduce visits to the emergency room or exposure to potentially dangerous viruses such as COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases — of particular importance for those with weakened immune systems or comorbidities. The benefits for residents of your senior housing community are many, and these solutions are within reach for savvy developers.
In-home assisted living services: extending tenant ability to age in place
Assisted living communities can provide a space that allows tenants to access care services at the level they need during each phase of life. Whether a senior is seeking help with personal care services such as bathing and eating, medication administration, housekeeping help, or support for daily living, in-home assisted living services can deliver. As most seniors want to live in an independent living setting for as long as possible, in-home assisted living services empower them to do so without compromising their well-being and safety. Depending on the direction you take as a developer, assisted living offered in-home can be a temporary solution (after surgery, for example) or a longer-term option for tenants.
In-home care is an important service as seniors age if they want to remain in their independent living space and wish to alleviate the burden on family and friends, who so often step in to help with property upkeep, errands, housekeeping and personal care. The cost of in-home care can also be lower than assisted living, depending on the level of care needed.
It’s important to note that developers who wish to incorporate in-home assisted living services and telehealth solutions would benefit greatly from partnering with an experienced design-build team that can incorporate design innovations and planning early in the commercial construction process to ensure a seamless process. Design and build can also virtually eliminate costly change orders, as all stakeholders work on the same team and communicate throughout the process.
Ready to take advantage of this senior housing opportunity?
When it’s time to start talking about building your next senior living community, or if you’re ready to incorporate intentional design aimed at helping existing tenants age in place, we can help. With the design and build model of construction, from predevelopment and preconstruction services to project completion, you’ll innovate and optimize your senior independent living facility. Contact our design and build experts today to start building the future of senior housing in the greater La Crosse area in Wisconsin or Rochester, Minnesota.