Assisted Living Options
Generally senior living options are categorized in
three distinctive settings.
1. Social Living
Arrangements: Social Living
arrangement is a large umbrella that encompasses many different type of
facilities. In general, social living
arrangements are facilities where residents are either living with some
assistance with activities of daily living or semi-independently. These type of facilities generally do not
provide any skilled medical service to their residences. Skilled medical services provided to
residents of Social Living Arrangements are usually rendered by outside vendors
or providers. There are many different
names used to describe such facilities but the most common are; assisted living
facilities, residential facility, board and care facility, and retirement
facilities.
- Assisted Living Facilities: Assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities
of daily living; coordination of services by non-affiliated healthcare
providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their
health, safety, and well-being. Assistance may include the administration or
supervision of medication, or personal care services provided by a trained
staff of the assisted living department of each facility. Assisted living as it exists today emerged in
the 1990's as a geriatric alternative on the continuum of care for people,
normally seniors, who cannot live independently in a private residence, but who
do not need the 24-hour medical care provided by a nursing home. Assisted
living is a philosophy of care and services promoting independence and dignity.
Assisted living residences are a bridge between living at home and living
in a nursing home. Assisted living residences do not typically provide the
level of continuous skilled nursing care found in nursing homes and hospitals.
More recently built facilities are designed with an emphasis on ease of use by elderly
and disabled residents. Bathrooms and kitchens are designed to give residents
easy access should they require the use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs
and walkers. Hallways and doors are extra-wide to
accommodate wheelchairs access.
The socialization aspects of assisted
living facilities are very beneficial to the residents. Normally the
facility has many activities scheduled for its residents, keeping in mind
different disabilities and needs.
Many Assisted living facilities
also serve the needs of the cognitively impaired community, primarily people
with some form of dementia, including: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's
disease. Dementia care units are usually
embedded within the Assisted Living Facilities.
Assisted Living facilities are regulated and licensed at the state level.
More than two-thirds of the states use the licensure
term "assisted living." Other licensure terms used for this
philosophy of care include Residential Care Home, Assisted Care Facilities, and
Personal Care Homes. Each state licensing agency has its own definition of the
term it uses to describe assisted living.
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Independent Living: Independent living is
for people who are able to live independently but do not want to maintain a
home. Many people prefer to live in a community with others of the same
age and with similar interests. An independent retirement community
allows for a great deal of social activities and trips. Many independent
living facilities also offer prepared meals and provide a wide range of qualities.
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Board and Care Facilities: Although board and care facilities have
been around for decades, their popularity has increased significantly due to
the aging population boom. Board and
Care Facilities are homes in residential areas that have been modified to house
up to a certain number of residents, most commonly six resident. It provides an alternative to assisted living
settings and nursing homes. Resident's
conditions vary from those in need of full care to completely independent. It is generally inexpensive compared to
nursing home and large residential facilities.
It also renders more direct care and supervision due to higher staff to
resident ratios. The downside is less
activity and leisure programs. Meals are
included.
2. Medical Living Arrangements: Medical living
arrangements encompass all facilities that render skilled medical care
to their residents. Usually such facilities also assist their
residents
with activities of daily living as well.
Such facilities are licensed by Department of Health Services to
provide
medical care. A few example of these
facilities are; nursing homes, convalescent hospitals, midway home and
rehab
facilities.
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Nursing Home: A nursing
home is a place of residence for people who require continuous nursing
care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Nursing homes
include services of nurses, nursing aides and assistants; physical,
occupational and speech therapists; social workers and recreational assistants;
and room and board. Majority of care in nursing facilities is provided by nurse
and nurse assistants.
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Convalescent Care
Facilities: Convalescence
is the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness.
The convalescence of a patient after a life altering surgery or illness is
greatly affected by health care providers. It refers to the later stage of a disease
when the patient recovers and returns to normal, but may continue to be a
terminal even if feeling better.
Convalescent Facilities are also referred to as Long Term Care
Facilities. Majority of residents of Convalescent Facilities consist of patients
with late stages of terminal illnesses
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Rehabilitation Facilities: Designed to help recipients recover
following a period of hospital stay, surgery, and other altering medical
complications. Most commonly rehabilitation facility residents receive nursing
care and different therapies following a hospital stay. The services assist the patient with
rehabilitation, gaining wellness and strength and returning to an ordinary
lifestyle.
3. Social and Medical
living arrangements: Some facilities
are a combination of both medical and social living arrangements or are
considered specialty care units. Usually
such facilities have different wings or sections that handle different types of
care and living needs. Some may also
specialize in a specific type of care or service. Continuum Care Facilities and Alzheimer's
Care Units are some examples.
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Continuing Care Community: A continuing care community is a type of community
where several types of living options are available to the residents. Examples are; assisted
living, independent living and nursing home. Typically, elderly candidates move into a
continuing-care retirement community while still living independently, with few health risks or
healthcare needs. The individuals
usually will remain residents for life. As
the individuals progress in age, and their medical needs change, the level of nursing care
and assistive service increases proportionally.
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Dementia Care Facilities: A
phenomena of the 20th century, dementia care facilities, are
facilities that specialize in care for patients diagnosed with dementia, most
commonly Alzheimer's struck patients.
Due to specific needs and a better understanding of the disease process,
these type of facilities are equipped and trained to handle care for early
stage to late stage dementia patients.
These facilities are locked facilities with limited access to outside or
inside and most commonly imbedded within other senior care facilities.
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