Why Assisted Living?
Does someone you know lack in the day-to-day tasks they once were fully capable of? Does this show in their hygiene, household cleanliness, appetite, or daily routines? If so, you may want to consider an assisted living home.
What is Assisted Living and Why Should You Choose it for Someone?
Assisted living facilities are residences offering personal assistance and hospitality services to seniors who are still able to live independently. For seniors who may need extra help with personal hygiene, taking medications, getting to and from places, the next step for them may be an assisted living home.
These facilities are meant to make seniors feel like they are living at a home, but in a private community, like an apartment complex. The rooms vary from one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, to suites and studio rooms. They may be furnished or unfurnished rooms with the proper safety needs in place. There are also common spaces for dining, beauty shops, entertainment, and other amenities.
What Services Does Assisted Living Include?
The basic services vary in each assisted living home you find. Some of Rivers Edge's Services include:
- Daily transportation
- Social, educational, recreational, and religious activities
- Assistance with medication
- Housekeeping and laundry
View our full list of services on our Basic Services page.
We do have outside agencies that we can reach out to for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. We also have agencies we can reach out to for Hospice services. This is a service we don't provide, but we can outsource this need to have the care needed per doctors orders.
For our Health Services, we offer nurse visits, diabetic and insulin management, a beauty shop on campus and much more. See more by visiting our Health Services page.
How Does Assisted Living Differentiate From Others?
The information provided below this line was sourced from senioradvice.com.
Assisted Living vs Independent Living
Independent living is ideal for individuals who can still live independently but enjoy having access to assistance when needed. These communities provide their residents with convenient access to dining, medical care, entertainment, and the camaraderie of other seniors. Hospitality services such as housekeeping, meals, and laundry may or may not be included in the monthly rental but are typically available. Often, independent and assisted living facilities are co-located, so that seniors can shift to assisted living when their needs increase over time.
Assisted Living vs Residential Care Homes
These terms are often used interchangeably, but the National Institute on Aging notes that the difference is often based on the size of the facility. Board and care homes, also called residential care facilities or group homes, are small private facilities, usually with 20 or fewer residents. Rooms may be private or shared. Residents receive personal care and meals and have staff available around the clock. However, nursing and medical care usually are not provided on site.
Assisted Living vs Home Care
Preference, abilities, and cost are determining factors when choosing the right care. Without the ability to maintain everyday tasks, individuals may benefit from the 24-7 access to support that an assisted living facility provides. That said, home care allows the individual to stay functioning at home while a home health aide or nurse makes daily visits. Home care can surpass assisted living costs if a lot of specialized services are needed in the home. An individual with more care needs can often pay less monthly when choosing an assisted living facility.
Assisted Living vs Nursing Home Care
To have access to a wide range of personal, medical and health services, nursing homes are a good choice for those requiring more care than an assisted living facility provides. A nursing home offers medical staff, physicians and physical therapy in addition to meals and assistance with daily living. These services typically include nursing care, 24-hour supervision, three meals a day, and assistance with everyday activities.
As an example, if a resident requires intravenous medications, wound care, or occupational, physical, speech or respiratory therapy or treatments, they would most likely require a level of care beyond assisted living and be better suited for a nursing home with a skilled nursing unit. The length of stay at a nursing home can vary from a few days to a few months or longer depending on the resident's needs.