America’s Assisted Living Nurses@ (NAPSA)—If you or someone you care about is among the more than 40 million Americans over age 65— or the estimated 8,000 more who reach that age every day—a few facts about aging and caringfor the aged maybe good to know. What’s Available The good news for many older people is that the range of living arrangements is greater than manythink, including independent living, assisted living and dementia care communities, and continu- ing care retirementcenters. Assisted Living Nurses If you decide to go the assisted living community route—thatis, live in a residential long-term care setting that provides housing, 24hour oversight, personal care services, health-related services or a combination of these as needed— even better news may be that these are increasingly staffed by top-quality assisted living nurses, a relatively new kind of health care professional. What They Do Generally, these nurses use a holistic approach to maintain and even improve their clients’ functions, independence, engagement with the environment and with others, well-being and quality oflife. Their work can involve: Assessing the function and physical status of the resident Care planning * Medication management *Developing and running health promotion and disease prevention programs * Developing and runningphysical activity and exercise programs. Some of the best assisted living nurses belong to the American Assisted Living Nurses Association (AALNA), an organization run for nurses, by nurses that promoteseffective nursing practice in assisted living so both nurses and residents benefit. Where They DoIt Now, manyof these work with a leading owner and operator of senior living communities, Brookdale senior living solutions, which are designed to provide the highestquality service, care and living accommodationsfor their residents. “Brookdale has positively impacted millions of people’s lives during our decades of serving seniors andtheir families,” said Rita Vann, RN, Senior Vice President, Healthcare Services of Brookdale. “By partnering with AALNA, we have trusted resources and further meansto achieve ourgoal.” The corporate membership provides all the company’s nurses with professional networking opportunities, updates on industry trends, continuing education courses and webinars, changing regulations, and a voice in state andnational policy discussions. Learn More For further facts, visit www. brookdale.com and www.alnur sing.org or call (855) 444-7658.
