National Assisted Living Week: September 12 – 19, 2021
Compassion, Community, Care
Established by the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) in 1995, National Assisted Living Week® provides a unique opportunity for residents, their loved ones, staff, volunteers, and the surrounding communities to recognize the role of assisted living in caring for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. The annual observance encourages assisted living communities around the country to offer a variety of events and activities to celebrate the individuals they serve, as well as to help educate members of the public about this distinctive aspect of long-term care.
“Compassion, Community, Caring” is this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week. The senior living community has overcome immense challenges during the past year. While every NALW celebration is meaningful, this year’s week is particularly significant. “This year’s National Assisted Living Week is special because of everything we have faced over the past year,” writes the NCAL. “The theme, ‘Compassion, Community, Caring,’ reflects the hard work and dedication of all the essential caregivers in assisted living communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why Celebrate National Assisted Living Week?
Have you ever felt guilty that you didn’t call your grandparents or didn’t spend enough time with them? It can sometimes feel like you don’t have enough time to see everyone in your family.
But try to set aside a day or the entire week of NALW to spend time with them. If your elderly family members aren’t close by, you could spend time with residents in your community. The wisdom of elderly Americans shouldn’t go unnoticed. Not only do they have interesting stories to share, but it’ll brighten their day to have a visitor.
And don’t forget about the caregivers. It takes a special person to be a caregiver in assisted communities. Caregivers are patient, loving people that create comfortable homes for residents. Often, caregivers become family to the residents they care for. NALW is a time to recognize their hard work, too.
Over one million Americans live in assisted living communities in the U.S. It’s likely you know someone you can celebrate with. It might be a resident, their family, or a staff member in your local community. Regardless of their role in assisted living, they’re worth celebrating.
Please join Surprenant & Beneski as we celebrate the individuals who live and work in assisted living and learn more about the wonderful local communities, we consider partners. We’ll be sharing more information about these valuable resources all week long.
©Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. 35 Arnold Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, 336 South Street, Hyannis MA 02601 and 45 Bristol Drive, Easton MA 02375. This article is for illustration purposes only. This handout does not constitute legal advice. There is no attorney/client relationship created with Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. by this article. DO NOT make decisions based upon information in this handout. Every family is unique and legal advice can only be given after an individual consultation with an elder law attorney. Any decisions made without proper legal advice may cause significant legal and financial problems.