Community Resources and Older Adults

Community Resources That Promote Safety in Older Adults

The Wishek Living Center in Wishek County, North Dakota, is a noteworthy community resource that promotes safety for older adults. As individuals become older, their safety becomes more concerned, considering their higher health risks. The main services provided in this community resource include assisted living and nursing care. Assisted living refers to the provision of older adults with living quarters where they provide them with assistance for their daily living and care, and help them live independently and within a safe environment. At Wishek Living Center, the assisted living services provided include the accommodation of adults above 55 years old in semi-private and private rooms (Wishek Living Center, 2020). Private rooms are accessible at a higher fee compared to the shared rooms. The rooms are completely furnished, and the staff members provide the residents with services such as housekeeping, dining areas, special diets, bathing, personal laundry, social services, and transportation to medical clinics at no additional charge. The center also provides nursing care services to the residents with professional nurses on duty 24 hours a day. Nursing services include medication, therapy, and restorative nursing daily. Community Resources and Older Adults

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            To connect to these services, the clients need to seek admission. The admission process entails a personal application to the living center expressing interest in their services, a physical examination, and screening process by an attending physician (Wishek Living Center, 2020). The applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Some of the conditions required before admitting a client include an assessment of their conduct and checking of any criminal history. If the client has a criminal history, they must provide a certificate of good conduct as evidence of reformation.

This community center is easy to access for the clients because the buildings are all on the ground floor, which eliminates the need for climbing stairs, which may pose a challenge for the older adults (Wishek Living Center, 2020). The facilities also have wheelchairs to help the clients with their mobility needs around the facility. Additionally, the facility is built on flat land, which eliminates the challenge of navigating steep paths that would pose fall risks for the clients.

There is no information on whether the facility provides outreach to victims of elder abuse. However, as mentioned before, the admission process entails an assessment of individual background and considers the admissions on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, if a client has undergone elder abuse, then there are chances that their case is likely to be considered at this facility, more than that of a client without such experience. The goal of this facility is to provide a safe environment for the elder adults. Therefore, if one has undergone elder abuse, the community center is expected to admit the client.Community Resources and Older Adults

To maintain client privacy, the facility allows the clients to select if they prefer a private or shared room. This option allows the clients to select the level of privacy they desire. Privacy is critical and a fundamental right to patients, especially the elderly who undergo elder abuse (Kanel & Horn-Mallers, 2015). However, even in the shared rooms, the clients are encouraged to bring their items, which limits the need to share with other clients. Additionally, there are designated visiting areas where clients can receive their visitors if they do not wish to take them to their rooms. Such freedoms promote privacy in the community center.

The LPN’s role in providing information about this resource to a client is to act as a researcher and help the client identify the best living center for their safety. Additionally, the LPN plays the role of an advocate, where they recommend to the client the community resources for their health safety, to promote their health outcomes.

References

Kanel, K., & Horn-Mallers, M. (2015). An Overview of Human Services. Cengage Learning.

Wishek Living Center. (2020). Wishek Living Center- Services. Retrieved 26 August 2020, from https://www.wisheklivingcenter.com/services

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Community Resources and Older Adults