For a lot of older people, advanced age means they will come a time where living by themselves is no longer practical. There are aspects of daily living that will start to be more challenging. Suppose older people find that they regularly need guidance to do things like doing everyday chores or caring for their homes by themselves.
In that case, it might be a good idea to consider moving into assisted facilities. But does living in these communities mean, and what can people expect? In this article, we will take a closer look at the basics of what the elderly need to know about these types of facilities and how it can help them with difficult tasks while also offering social contacts and offering activities that can support or stimulate them.
Assisted living
Depending on the individual facility or the state or city it was situated, assisted living can mean different things. It may go by different names like personal care facilities or residential care settings. In general, this type of community’s concept is simply older people move to a place where they can get assistance with their regular tasks of living.
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These establishments can be small or large, corporate or privately owned, for-profit, or non-profit. Regardless, they offer a level of assistance or guidance to the elderly who are not able to manage their daily chores on their own, like toileting, bathing, or cooking.
According to these establishments, assisted living communities are a long-term care option for the elderly that provides personal guidance services like medication management, meals, dressing, transportation, and bathing. Based on reports from the National Center for Assisted Living, there are at least 30,000 assisted facilities with one million licensed beds in the country.
The number of licensed beds in a facility range from 5 to 500 and the average number of beds is 33. Each city or state has its own commission that gives license to these establishments. It is not surprising that a lot of these communities are located in the South and the West since these places are where most retirees move to.
Services these facilities provide
The assistance offered can vary depending on the facility. Among these services are tasks that support wellness and health like:
Hobby classes, social outings, and group exercise classes
Meal preparation and dining assistance
Dressing and bathing assistance and other personal care services
Space maintenance and housekeeping
Medication or drug management
Transportations to and from off-site campuses and medical appointments
The variability in services offered means that people need to do a lot of research to find the establishment that will best suit their needs when it comes to finding an assisted community.
How does this type of living works? Check out https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/aging/elder-care/assisted-living.htm for more information.
How much does it cost?
It is the question most people ask when looking for an excellent facility. Not only that, the cost of their services is a primary hurdle for a lot of families planning to avail of their services. Every state or city is different when it comes to administering assisted communities.
The cost of this assistance can differ from state to state. Not only that, depending on the level of service that is needed, and the specific care, the cost of entering a facility can differ wildly, from $1,000 to $5,000 per month.
Are these assisted living facilities the same as a nursing home?
There are a lot of different kinds of long-term elderly care communities out there like Brighton Court in Spokane, WA, and it can be pretty tough to find which is the best establishment that suits your need, so you really need to check all the important factors and details before choosing.
One thing is for sure, these establishments are not nursing home, which is also called skilled nursing communities. According to the National Institute on Aging, these facilities are for older individuals who need help with daily care, but not as much help as nursing homes provide. Nursing homes are for patients who need 24 hours a day, seven days a week of nursing care.
It includes medical care, meals, 24-hour assistance, and supervision with daily activities. A lot of these homes also provide various rehabilitation services like occupational or physical therapy. Some even offer speech therapy, which can help older people who suffered speech-damaging medical problems like stroke.