Many of us think of family as the people we are related to biologically…a child, a parent, a sibling, a spouse. A genealogical relationship formed by either marriage or birth, encompassing grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on.

At Sonata Senior Living, our definition of family transcends biology. In fact, our “family” is also a place. A place of acceptance. A place of protection. A place of comfort, warmth, and compassion. A place fully inclusive of residents, their families, and our team members.

In other words, when you move to Sonata, you are not moving to an assisted living “facility.” You are gaining an extended “family.”

Family Partnerships at Sonata Senior Living

At Sonata, we welcome new residents with open arms and a servant heart. But it’s how we care for them that truly makes us different.

Caring for seniors and helping them live their best life is our passion. Partnering with our residents’ families helps us make that possible.

We hear more times than we can count how Sonata feels more like “family” than “facility.” This is not by accident. Rather, it’s a byproduct of a workforce culture that recognizes the importance of family partnerships and the positive impact it has on senior living resident health and wellness.

Partnering For Comfort

At Sonata, we care for older adults like family by including family. An in-depth interview with family members is the first step of our partnership. Families provide important information and details about their parent or spouse’s history, cultural background, dining and activity preferences, spiritual needs, routines, hobbies, and habits. Families are also given the opportunity to define what they believe a meaningful quality of life looks like for their loved one.

The process results in a “Lifestyle Profile” and serves as a guidepost for Sonata’s caregivers as they program personal routines and preferences into the resident’s surroundings, environment, daily activities, and care.

Using the Lifestyle Profile, caregivers at Sonata are equipped to anticipate needs and create an individualized personal care plan that customizes senior living for residents. It also offers comfort to families knowing their loved one is treated as a special and unique individual.

In Sonata’s independent living communities, the Lifestyle Profile helps match residents with like-minded individuals. Residents seamlessly transition from the family home to a robust social environment with opportunities to make new friends while engaging in activities they love.

When residents are engaged in activities they love and follow a routine that feels familiar, they feel more “at home.” When caregivers customize care and activities to a resident’s individual needs, they feel more like family.

Continuity of Care at Sonata Senior Living

At Sonata, continuity of care is essential to the well-being of our residents. It’s why we have higher standards in every aspect of operations—from safety protocols and clinical training to responsiveness and sanitation.

Our approach to care management leverages the latest in cloud access and is maintained in our secure electronic health records (EHR) system. Using Assisted Living Intelligent Software (ALIS), Sonata assures integration with care partners and optimal outcomes for residents.

We provide care plan meetings with families 30 days after move-in and every six months thereafter or whenever there is a change in care plans. Monthly wellness updates with families helps us measure health outcomes and proactively address any changes. The end result is a 98% satisfaction rating in family member surveys.

Partnering with families to provide care at Sonata includes:

• Care plan meetings with families
• Monthly wellness updates to families
• Electronic health records
• Real-time health information
• Integration with care partners

Partnership Resources at Sonata Senior Living

At Sonata, our specially trained caregivers are long-term care experts. We exceed the state-required mandated training by implementing monthly web-based seminars to help our staff stay up to date with assisted living guidelines.

As experts in long-term care, part of our mission is to provide support and resources to our families. We offer education to both families and allied providers by hosting caregiver support groups and educational seminars. We are also actively involved with the Florida Senior Living Association (FSLA) and other local chapters of national organizations advocating the education and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

If your loved one is in need of assisted living after a hospital stay, time is of the essence. Transitioning from a hospital to an assisted living community often requires evaluations and paperwork that can be both confusing and time intensive. Whenever necessary, Sonata provides same-day evaluations to assess the needs of your loved one and will arrange for a smooth transition and seamless transition of care, whether from a home, hospital or other setting.

As a resource to families, we offer:

• Support groups
• Educational seminars
• Assistance with resident health assessments
• Assistance with required forms, including AHCA Form 1823

Partnering Through Assistance

Our partnership initiatives reflect our commitment to provide support, resources and assistance to caregivers and their loved ones no matter where they fall in the long-term care continuum.

Some people prefer to transition to a Sonata Senior Living community slowly. Rather than committing to a move they may not be ready for, we help families make the transition gradually in our respite care program. Our Respite Stay program allows family members to experience our overnight personalized care while providing temporary rest, or “respite,” to family caregivers.

Once your loved one moves to Sonata, our support continues and never stops. Wellness services help families by bringing essential health care services to Sonata, removing the need for families and caregivers to coordinate doctor’s visits and therapy appointments. For those times an off-site doctor’s visit is necessary, we can also arrange scheduled transportation.

Sonata offers support and assistance to families:

• Home Wellness and Safety Assessment
• Short-term stays or “respite care”
• On-site wellness services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy
• Scheduled transportation

Partnering Through Communications at Sonata Senior Living

The lines of communication are open up to and through the moment you or your loved one moves to a Sonata independent living, assisted living or memory care community. At every stage, we are in frequent communication with you to help coordinate the move-in process.

Once moved in, all Sonata families are enrolled in our family communications database and receive frequent updates related to daily life at Sonata.

Family communications at Sonata includes:

• Emergency alerts
• Monthly emails
• Social media posts of activities and events
• Sonata Safe signature programming

Most importantly, Sonata partners with families to ensure the safety of their loved ones. We are one of the few assisted living communities in South Florida that offers licensed nursing on-site, 24/7. We go well beyond the state mandate for hurricane preparedness in both construction and support services. Our staff training exceeds state standards. And our Sonata Safe signature program reflects our commitment to keeping your loved ones safe—just as we would our family.