Assisted living is a long term care service provided to the elders who are unable to get the required care at home for various reasons. Assisted living consists of a combination of housing services along with health and personal care, crafted for the elderly to meet their specific needs. Some of these requirements also include assistance with normal daily activities.
There are different types of assisted senior living facilities available. These are adult homes, enriched housing, family-type homes, assisted living programs, life care communities, and nursing homes. Each type of assisted living caters to different kinds of adult needs; therefore, families can consider the needs of their aged relative and search for an appropriate type of assisted living arrangement.
Shifting into an assisted living facility is a life-changing move and so, it should be a well-informed decision. Here are some useful facts about assisted living not everyone is aware of. Those who have just begun their search for an assisted living facility can read these lesser-known facts to know about these services better.
Different kinds of senior living care options and care provided
Senior living goes by many names to signify the different types of care they provide. Each type has its own cost, which depends on the services provided. Below are some popular levels of assisted living care:
- In-home senior care
- PCM care
- Adult day care
- Independent living
- Personal home care
- Assisted living
- Hospice care
- Retirement community
- Senior apartment
- Dementia/Alz care
- Respite care
- Nursing home
- CCRC — Continuum Care Retirement Communities
Though this list doesn’t cover all kinds of senior care, these are some of the most popular ones that one should inquire about before selecting a facility.
Affordable assisted living options
Assisted living is known for being rather expensive and most people don’t know that there are quite a few affordable assisted living facilities they can avail of. There are several ways to find a lowered cost assisted living for the elderly.
Planning ahead is essential to save money on assisted living. One can put their name on the waiting list of an assisted living community to save any last-minute high costs of another higher budgeted assisted living community. Long-term care private insurance can be helpful for those might face difficulties in paying out of pocket. Also, one can consider Medicare or Medicaid for the same.
A shared room at an assisted living facility can be more cost-effective as compared to a single room. Families can also explore veterans benefits to get lowered cost.
Availability of culturally diverse options
A rising number of assisted living communities are being designed to meet the diverse needs of the seniors. These needs can be cultural, lingual, religious, or even dietary. Families living in America can find Asian senior living communities or Jewish communities. These facilities also recruit staff that speaks native languages as well to provide added comfort to the seniors.
It is now easier to find senior living facilities for LGB-oriented communities and even communities that are golf-oriented. This indicates that the senior living industry is introducing diversity in their business to serve the varied population of the country.
Dementia care in assisted living
Although there is a different type of senior living facility available for dementia patients, some assisted living communities too have introduced special care for dementia patients to broaden their horizon of providing care to the elderly. One can now find several assisted living facilities that offer a dedicated program for Alzheimer’s patients. These programs are designed to help the patients decrease the symptoms of the condition and improve their quality of life.
Facilities for couples
One can also find several assisted living communities that work to place couples together. So, if a family is worried about having their parents separated at old age due to different assisted living care needs, they can find communities that work on placing them together. Such communities try to incorporate solutions for diverse needs a couple might have and design their programs such that they can be together in the same facility.
Some facilities also try and accommodate a couple in double occupancy apartments but this can mean a higher cost.
Other factors to consider
Before choosing an assisted living facility, families must check the level of care that will be provided to their elderly member. There are essentially three types of levels of care assisted living facilities provide — lower levels, higher levels, and memory care.
- The lower level of care is designed for residents who need minimal assistance and have no memory loss and can move about without assistance. Lower level care can include providing help while showering and getting ready in the morning.
- Higher level care is designed for residents who need assistance in many aspects of life like walking, eating, and several other activities. Some higher level care residents may also need the ministration that is provided to an early stage Alzheimer’s patient.
- Finally, memory care is designed for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients with these facilities including memory care units to provide the necessary care. These assisting living programs are made to make seniors feel comfortable and at home, along with proving them required assistance.
