What really matters
when it comes to resident-to-caregiver ratios?
As you evaluate long-term care options for your loved one, it’s important to understand resident-to-caregiver ratios and what they mean. It may come as a surprise that discretion over staffing falls directly to the assisted living facilities providing care. The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) says merely: “ALFA supports staffing requirements that allow assisted living communities to hire staff in sufficient numbers to adequately meet the needs and preferences of the resident population.” Most states abstain from dictating staffing ratios as well. The lack of an established standard in this area is one of the reasons why the quality of seniors’ experiences with assisted living varies so widely across the country.
3:1 Average Resident to Caregiver Ratio
A consistent standard hasn’t been set for our industry, so Avendelle has established our own. In our mission to offer the very best in senior care, we maintain a 3:1 average ratio of residents to caregivers1. Though in-the-moment ratios can vary by time and location, this is an average we consistently take measures to maintain. This ensures each resident receives proper care and attention all day, every day. While we encourage residents to be as independent as reasonably possible, when they do need help, they can quickly and easily get it from a knowledgeable caregiver.
Individualized Care
One of the special things about life at Avendelle is the family-like atmosphere that emerges in each of our homes. Every residential location is different and they’re all constantly evolving. Our caregivers are bona fide members of the communities we facilitate, and it’s in their job description to get to know each resident on an individual level. This familiarity empowers them to deliver the highest possible level of assistance, to uplift the atmosphere when necessary, and to anticipate and successfully resolve problems. If you want your loved one to have one-on-one, individualized attention, you’ll love the Avendelle approach. We honor the voice of every resident and deliver a degree of personalized care that larger assisted living facilities can’t imitate.
We notice the little things.
The drawback of a bigger community is rarely the quality of care available. Rather, it’s the inability to devote focused attention on each resident as an individual and to notice small, potentially meaningful changes. At Avendelle, our average resident-to-caregiver ratio is just 3 to 11. Our senior caregivers spend time with and get to know our residents. Your loved one won’t just enjoy the comfort seeing a familiar, friendly face; he or she will also benefit from a qualified caregiver understanding what normal looks like – and what might be cause for alarm.
What Really Matters
When it comes to resident-to-caregiver ratios in assisted living, there’s an important secondary consideration. In many ways, the number of staff on site matters less than the type of professionals present and the kind of care they can provide. At Avendelle, we’re focused on caregivers, not just staff. Though our support staff does keep our residential care homes running smoothly, they’re not the ones who make the difference in the quality of our residents’ care. That responsibility is trusted to our caregivers, and we maintain a 3:1 average ratio of residents to caregivers1. When you hear that number, it doesn’t include gardeners and drivers. What matters most in quality of care is the resident-to-caregiver ratio.
