Is Assisted Living a Good Option for You?

 

I found a great article about assisted living in a guide book on display at my senior center.  I have known about and worked with Assisted Living residents for many years and have never seen the criterion outlined this well.  

 

Assisted living offers supportive services in an independent style living arrangement.   The criterion for living in an assisted care facility varies, but for the most part you should be able to participate in at least part of your own personal care.  The current standard is that you can expect 1.5 to 2.0 hours of personal care services a day.  It is important that you know which services are available to you and what you can expect to pay for them.

 

There are also a good many services that assisted living cannot provide and you need to know about this up front.  If you are a very private person, you may not like a dormitory type arrangement.  You will have your own your own apartment and every effort is made to respect your privacy, but you are never quite alone.  If too many people and too many rules make you uncomfortable you might do better with home care or in a smaller group setting.

 

People who can’t see well or at all may or may not do fine in an assisted living community, depending on how independent they can be.  Assisted Living is not a one-on-one care situation, so being able to be self sufficient is important.

 

Individuals with mild memory loss may do very well with gentle reminders, but memory care and dementia are complex issues.  Many assisted care facilities are not equipped to care for someone with severe forms of dementia.

 

Assisted Living residents live in their own apartments and more care is required if mobility and frequent falls impinge on personal safety. The risk of falling always exists but if it is happening on a regular basis, the likelihood of needing a higher level of care is eminent.

 

Needing more than routine care becomes problematic in assisted living.  A caregiver is assigned to a certain number of residents.  They block out time to help with things like dressing, grooming and bathing.  When care giving is scheduled and specific it can be lovingly and easily managed by staff.  However, the caregiver is only one person and may not be available to help with mobility issues, assisting with getting in and out of chairs or frequent trips to the bathroom.

 

If you can no longer manage at home, are not taking good care of yourself, or are lonely or afraid of living alone, you may enjoy an assisted living facility.  On the other hand, you need to be comfortable with scheduled care.  If your needs are more unpredictable or you don’t like being asked/told what to do and where to be, assisted living may not be a good option for you. 

 

 

 

Comments

[Senior Homes]

I agree on what this blog had stated. Find out what is more comfortable for you and from there start working it on. If you need assisted living facility or just a scheduled care. Thank you for this post.