Living Options
Living Options
Senior Placements
Senior Placements
Assisted Living Communities
Assisted Living Communities
Assisted living community settings vary across the nation. In most of the nation, assisted care could be considered independent living with added services to assist those who need hands-on care. This personalized care may include assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, showering, and toileting.
Some assisted living services are also provided in residential settings. In these settings, seniors receive either a private or shared room in a residential neighborhood home. Assisted living communities may also provide transportation to doctor’s offices, crafts, outings, and outside stores or events. Assisted living communities are more costly than independent/retirement communities but usually less than memory care communities.
Alzheimer’s/Dementia/Memory Care Communities
Alzheimer’s/Dementia/Memory Care Communities
Alzheimer’s/dementia/memory care communities are for residents with middle- to late-stage memory conditions. These facilities can be located in larger assisted living-type of communities or smaller residential settings. These communities specialize in special needs care and may have the actual building setup to enhance memory functions and decrease potential confusion for residents.
Activities focused on memory recall from past experiences are usually the staple of activities in these settings. Residents who are appropriate for this setting are usually the residents who are already residing in an assisted living environment and has begun forgetting how to perform daily activities of life or have been getting lost, wandering, or going in other people’s rooms, thinking it was their own.
*Special licensing is required in certain states.
Skilled Nursing Care
Skilled Nursing Care
A nursing home is the highest senior care environment and requires the skilled nursing services of a physician, nurse, social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or respiratory therapist. These facilities are mostly paid by Medicare and Medicaid. A nursing home-care facility is usually used more for a short-term rehabilitation stay than a long-term care option unless the senior is on a Medicaid program.
Most seniors will never need a nursing home due to the increased services that assisted living and dementia/Alzheimer’s/memory care communities can perform. Private pay is rarely used in this care setting due to recurring cost ranging from $250 to $400 per day. Nursing homes are considered the most restrictive environments for seniors.
*Special licensing is required in certain states.
Independent Living
Independent Living
Independent living communities (IL) provide the lowest level of assistance on the eldercare spectrum. Sometimes referred to as retirement communities or senior housing, independent living communities are the best fit for self-sufficient elders in fair health who wish to minimize their daily responsibilities socialize with peers, and lead active lives.
The cost of independent living communities can vary widely depending on geographic location, dwelling type, the extent of services and types of amenities offered, and whether a resident wishes to rent or buy. According to the American Seniors Housing Association, independent living costs can range between $1,500 and $6,000 per month.
Independent living communities offer plenty of services and amenities, including laundry and housekeeping services covered maintenance, landscaping, on-site dining facilities, transportation, and social and recreational activities. However, unlike other types of residential care, such as assisted living facilities and nursing homes, independent living communities do not assist with activities of daily living or medical care. For this reason, independent living is not covered by insurance like Medicare or Medicaid and is instead paid for out of pocket by residents.