Visit or return to Assisted Living Directory’s main article discussing Assisted Living for Obesity.
A few years ago, we put together a page on our site discussing whether assisted living can help, and is appropriate for those who are obese, and cannot continue managing their lives without dedicated help.
We wrote this page based on our own observations that obseity is becoming quite an epidemic in our country (backed up by statistics galore), and also from the numerous e-mails we receive from individuals and families looking for a care environment for a loved-one who is obese.
Many of these folks are turning to assisted living for answers, and unfortunately, the assisted living industry has been slow to engage this demographic (in our view). We haven’t seen many facilities specifically market towards overweight or obese residents much, although many of them are accepting obese residents both for short-term or long-term situations.
However, finding facilities or care that has a specific program, or expeirnece with obseity may prove to be a challenge. We’d like to offer a few suggestions on where you might turn for answers, or dedicated help in finding care for someone who is obese.
Our Suggestions:
1) Contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Every area of the US is covered by an Area Agency on Aging, which is essentially provided through federal, state, and local resources to help families with caregiving, housing, and of course, elder issues.
These agencies are usually staffed by knowledgeable experts and volunteers who are familiar with what is provided in your city and county, and what programs and services that are available to fit your needs. They also often have health and nutrition programs and counseling.
Often times these agencies have worked directly with facilities in the area, and they may have an idea of which one(s) may be suitable for overweight/obese residents.
2) Have an expert do the work, and research for you to help you to find care. Assisted Living Directory has partnered with a nationwide group of senior living and care experts who will help you to find the care you need in the area you are looking for. These experts have worked directly with many facilities, administrators, or providers, and may very possibly be able to place you in an appropriate care environment. It is free, and well worth trying it out
(David, the editor for Assisted Living Directory, used this exact services to help find care for his mother-in-law, and it was extremely helpful. You can read about his personal experience here).
To contact one of our care experts, you can do so here:
They will get back to you quickly, and on a personal level. They have a lot of contacts in this industry, and years of experience.
Aside from the two suggestions above, we recommend simply contacting facilities in your area, if you have the time. Although they may not specifically market to potential residents with obesity-related issues, they may well have experience with it, and have current residents in the same situation.
We hope this has been helpful, and we wish you the best of luck in your search. If you do have a successful placement or experience with any specific facility, we’d love to hear about it!