Do you have a family member that is voicing concern about needing long-term care? Genworth Financial conducted a study that found 55% of its respondents were the most afraid of having a long-term illness that would result in their being a burden for the family. Furthermore, these respondents were also 5 times more concerned about becoming a burden than dying.
It is unfortunate that many seniors in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease in particular is a common dementia diagnosis, and about 66% of the adults with this diagnosis are women. This disease is the sixth leading cause of death in this country, and the only disease in the top-10 causes of death that can’t be prevented, slowed, or cured. Recent data also shows that 1 out of every 3 seniors that die have had some form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s.
Senior living communities can provide care options for Alzheimer’s patients as well as those suffering with other types of dementia or health issues. While both women and men reside in assisted living apartments, 74% tend to be female, and 26% male. Over 75% of the residents that have lived in these facilities experienced a minimum of 2 out of the 10 most common chronic health conditions. In addition to high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia have been the most prevalent health concerns.
If you have a family member experiencing the early stages of dementia, you may want to discuss their moving to a senior living community that has assisted living apartments. In addition to providing other valuable services, these communities also offer memory care activities for seniors.
Most of the residents are able to receive assistance with 3 or more daily living activities. Nearly 4 out of every 10 assist living facility offers these types of services. The most common activities that residents request assistance with tend to be bathing and dressing.
There are other benefits available to assisted living residents. These services are all provided to assist with promoting each resident’s quality of life and independence, and typically include the following types of assistance and activities:
- 24-hour supervision
- Daily meals and snacks
- Group dining room
- Personal care services
- Health care services
- Medication management
- Social services
- Transportation arrangements
- Laundry service
- Housekeeping
- Maintenance
It’s also important to note the results of a 2009 Independent Living Report conducted by the ProMatura Group, LLC. Their research showed that most of the participants had a more positive experience than they had initially expected. As the research indicated, this was because independent living retirement communities provide seniors with more opportunities to make friends and create new experiences.
Given all of the benefits to residing in assisted living apartments, it makes sense to consider this as an option. This also holds true for seniors that haven’t been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia.
