Filed under: Daily Living
In my last article Caring for Aging Parents, I touched briefly on the idea of assisted living being an option depending on the specific circumstances. I would like to explore the idea further here.
Assisted living combines a home-like setting with personal support services to provide more intensive care than is available through home care services. Assisted living facilities provide aging adults with an option care that is less expensive and less restrictive.
Services included will vary from facility to facility but common ones are generally meals, housekeeping services, laundry, transportation, maintenance, activities, 24-hour staff availability and security. These are services that have always been available in retirement communities. What is new and different about assisted living is the addition of personal care and some nursing services. Residences offer assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, walking, grooming and personal hygiene. Certain skilled care needs such as medication administration, special diets and dressing changes can also be met in the assisted living environment.
Costs for assisted living generally range from $2,000 to $4,000 per month and vary depending on the size of living area and the extent of care required.
Assisted living facilities are often connected with independent living residences and nursing homes. The combination is known as a continuing care retirement community. The resident can take advantage of the full range of services available and the ease of transfer to a different type of facility as his or her condition and needs change without needing to look for a new facility, relocate, or adapt to a new setting. For example, the resident may begin in the independent living residences, move to assisted living as he or she needs help with activities of daily living, and eventually move to the nursing home as ongoing care becomes necessary
The biggest draw to assisted living is the greater emphasis placed on preserving a home like environment. I mentioned last time that an aging parent’s sense of dignity and must be respected and assisted living helps with that as the residents have greater autonomy. For this reason among others assisted is continuing to grow in popularity.
Healthy Aging 