When it comes to senior living, location and amenities are important, but the right caregiver-to-resident ratio is essential. In fact, this ratio can directly influence the quality of care you or a loved one receives from a senior living community. Learn more about staff-to-resident ratio and why this number matters as you explore assisted living options.
What Is Caregiver-to-Resident Ratio?
The caregiver-to-resident ratio reveals how many workers are available for each member of a senior living community. These are the team members who provide hands-on assistance with personal care, medication administration, companionship and medical monitoring . You may also see this number referred to as a staff-to-resident ratio.
When calculating caregiver-to-resident ratio, assisted living communities can only count staff who are at the facility and directly involved in providing care to residents. That means if a nurse is on call, they’re not included in the ratio until they arrive on-site. The more staff there are on site, the more likely it will be for every senior to get the quality care they deserve.
How Do You Find the Caregiver-to-Resident Ratio for an Assisted Living Community?
Many senior living communities share their staffing ratios online or in brochures. You can also call Bel Air Assisted Living or other luxury senior living communities with questions about their staff-to-resident ratio.
Interpreting staff-to-resident ratio can get tricky when you’re just given numbers without an explanation. For example, what does it really mean if a community tells you there is a 1:15 caregiver-to resident ratio? That means that there would only be 1 caregiver taking care of 15 residents. This is the minimal level of service that an assisted living is required to provide in the state of Maryland. In this type of situation, each one of those 15 residents may have to wait quite a while until a staff member is able to respond to their needs. At Bel Air Assisted Living, the team is committed to the importance of a quick response time, and ensuring that all resident needs and preferences are met without delay. That is why Bel Air Assisting Living maintains an average staff to resident ratio of nearly 3:15. That means responses can be nearly 3 times quicker than they would be at a typical facility, residents are more satisfied, and staff can take the time they need to do an excellent job providing care.
Why Is the Caregiver-to-Resident Ratio Important?
It’s difficult for seniors to get top-notch care when a community is short-staffed. It’s also a problem when a facility hires just enough employees to meet the bare minimum for state or federal requirements.
Higher numbers of employees on site can provide a higher level of care. Team members can attend to each resident’s needs in a timely manner. Workers may also feel happy and calm when they aren’t rushing around frantically trying to help everyone. Happy employees can result in happy residents, as these workers have the patience and energy to treat each senior with extra care.
A high staff-to-resident ratio also helps keep each senior safe. If a senior with dementia gets too close to an exit, staff members are more available to quickly help redirect the resident back to their room or the community areas. When a medical emergency arises, skilled care team members can respond to the resident and provide prompt care. Every second counts after a heart attack or stroke, so choosing a well-staffed assisted living home may save your loved one’s life.
A high staff-to-resident ratio also helps luxury assisted living communities offer fun perks and amenities. Well-staffed communities have enough workers to make each day special for seniors, whether they’re hosting bingo nights or holiday events. Each employee brings their own unique skills and strengths to the community, making life more enjoyable for residents.
How Can You Find Communities with a High Caregiver-to-Resident Ratio?
Luxury senior living requires a dedicated team. Unfortunately, many large assisted living facilities have low staff-to-resident ratios. If you want a facility with a high caregiver-to-resident ratio, consider a boutique assisted living community such as Bel Air
Assisted Living. These smaller senior living communities often have a higher staff-to-resident ratio, which helps maximize the quality of care residents receive.
Before you commit to a senior living community, ask about the current staff-to-resident ratio as well as the facility’s future plans. The ratio may be high now, but is that because the facility has fewer residents than usual? Find out how many empty apartments or units the community has, and ask how the community would handle a sudden influx of new arrivals.
Consider Quality Care for Seniors at Bel Air
Bel Air Assisted Living understands the importance of a high staff-to-resident ratio. At our luxury senior living community, there are nearly three times as many caretakers as at other facilities. This makes it easy to ensure each senior enjoys compassionate, around-the-clock care from a skilled team.
We have services available for every senior, from respite care and physical therapy to a memory care program and independent living services. Gourmet meals are prepared on-site by a trained chef, and seniors stay busy with exercises, crafts and enjoying time outdoors on our comfortable front porch. If you’re considering luxury assisted living, consider the warm, welcoming community at Bel Air. Schedule a visit today so you can learn more about how the Bel Air experience can benefit your family.