What is assisted living? Assisted living is a lifestyle within a facility that supports the needs of those who are elderly or disabled. An individual living in an assisted living facility needs assistance with those activities normally associated with day to day activities. These activities would include assistance with grocery shopping, preparing meals and cleaning up, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, laundry, personal care and medication and exercise on an ongoing basis. An assisted living facility can provide assistance for these and other issues in a comfortable, safe and secure environment. Care and assistance from a trained staff is available on a 24-hour basis and is usually tailored to the needs of the resident. Assisted living is available for single adults or for couples. Assisted living obviously involves more time and attention from a staff that independent living, but usually a little less time than that offered in a rehabilitation setting or a nursing home.
Types of Assisted Living Homes
What type of assisted living homes are there? Generally, these homes are found in two different styles, with other subsets available. All assisted living facilities provide assistance to their residents in monitoring and administering prescribed medications, provide regular visits from a doctor or nurse as appropriate and support a general level of safety and security for the residents.
Independent Living Retirement Homes
The first is a smaller facility that has fewer residents and minimal staff. Assisted living homes can be grouped together by the level of services offered to the residents. At one end of the spectrum there are homes that offer a minimal standard of care. This usually includes meals, some socialization and activities, a minimal amount of housekeeping for the residents, supervision of any medication or physical and occupational therapy required along with availability of 24-hour supervision. However, aside from these, the occupant will live mostly independently.
Assisted Living Retirement Homes:
At the other end of the spectrum that are those assisted living homes that offer a broader assortment of services. For example, social activities may be expanded to include field trips to restaurants, churches and shopping centers. Instead of a meal consisting of basic nutritional needs, restaurant-style dining might be available. An assisted living home might, at the minimum, focus solely on a weekly shower or bath for a resident or provide bathing and hairdressing assistance on a more regular basis.
Long Term Care or Specific Issue Care
There are many people who may have long term health issues or suffer from diseases like dementia. These may require a special type of assisted living home which is specialized for their condition. A memory care home may feature circular walkways to assist with residents who tend to wander. The staff will also be trained for each residents specialized needs.
Assisted Living Home FAQ
It is not easy to place a family member in an assisted living facility. It is a major lifestyle change for some and can be a major expense. If you research those facilities in your area and look at several with varying levels of service, you should be able to find one that fits your needs.If you are considering an assisted living facility for a family member, there are some basic points to consider and questions to be answered.
Q: What should I do if I am considering an assisted living home?
A: Ask questions about the facility itself. Is the facility licensed and insured? Is the staff trained in emergency response procedures for both an individual resident and all residents as a group? Is there an emergency evacuation plan in place in case of a fire or gas leak? Are staff members subject to reference or background checks?
Q: How Much Will Assisted Living Cost?
A: Most assisted living facilities, regardless of size and level of service require a contract. The terms and costs can vary and will depend on the services rendered. Price may fluctuate based on several things, like: Is there someone on staff who can assist you in finding funding for your family member's stay? Is the staff at the facility familiar with powers of attorney, medical treatment power or attorney so that the resident can be protected?
Q: What questions should I ask current residents of a potential facility?
A: There are questions you need to ask concerning the staff. Are they adequate trained in the care of elderly individuals? Are they qualified to administer CPR if necessary? Is there enough staff available to provide the desired level of care? Are staff members friendly and do they interact with the residents or simply park a wheelchair in front of a television set?
Q: What should I look for during the facility tour?
When you tour the facility prior to making any decision regarding your family member, look around carefully. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is the facility clean?
- Are there adequate handrails, elevators, and lights for safety?
- Are the meals appetizing and served either in the residents’ rooms or a central dining room?
- How many meals are included?
- What about snacks?
- Can a family member bring in a meal on a regular basis? Are special diets or foods acceptable?
- Can levels of service available be increased or decreased as needed?
- Is there socialization for the residents?
- Are the residents fairly equal in their level of disability and need for assistance?
- Is there a staff person who coordinates occupational and physical therapy, off-site visits to doctors?
- Is there an on-site pharmacy or availability of prescription drug medications?
- Are bathrooms equipped to handle handicapped individuals?
- Are there private rooms available?
- Are units with small kitchenettes available for those who can still cook for themselves?
- Can a staff person be contacted by the resident in case of an emergency?
- Is there a regularly scheduled welfare check on the resident?
- If there are residents with memory problems, are these identified and monitored for their own safety?
Every detail is crucial in picking the right location.
Q: Will assisted living facilities provide information about themselves?
A: These are a lot of questions to be answered. A good facility will welcome the opportunity answer all of these questions and more. Feel free to ask until you are satisfied with the information.
