What kind of medical staff is onsite at assisted living and memory care communities?
This varies from community to community, but a great question to ask when touring a facility.
Many communities have a registered nurse on site, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00, and the nurse might be available on call as needed. Professional caregivers are staffed 24/7, and long-term care communities also have medical technicians whose primary job is to distribute resident medications.
Some communities have visiting medical providers who come to the community and provide on-site primary care. This might be an MD or a nurse practitioner, and that’s a great option for residents who want to ave more of that care provided onsite.
There are also ancillary medical services. For example, a foot care specialist may be on rotation once a month or medical lab technician to administer routine lab work. These additional services vary from community to community, but typically there’s support in these areas.
Long-term care community residents usually only need to go outside their living community for medical care if they’re seeing a specialist, require urgent care, or need hospitalization.
Don’t be shy about asking what specific supports and medical services are available to residents. Also ask about transportation to and from medical appointments.
As Aging Life Care professionals (AKA Care Managers), we frequently accompany clients who live in long-term care communities to their medical appointments off-site. Often our role is to serve as companion and patient-client advocate. We also provide clear communication to all designated parties following the appointment, including appropriate community staff, such as the Director of Nursing, and a client’s DPOA for health care.
Interested in learning how a Care Manager can assist you in finding professional caregivers to support someone in your care? Click here to schedule a free, get-acquainted call with one of our Certified Care Managers.
This podcast is part of a longer conversation between Nicole Amico Kane, Director of Care Management at Aging Wisdom, and Brenda Dodd, Director of Training and Special Projects at Áegis Living.