According to the CDC, there are 28,900 assisted living facilities in America. With America’s growing aging population, assisted living facilities offer an alternative to nursing homes. They do not offer the kinds of medical care offered in nursing homes, but they are similar. How do you know if assisted living is right for your loved one?
If you can no longer care for your loved one due to your own health declining or for some other reason, consider hiring a home aid. They come in for a few hours a day for a few days a week. However, if your loved one needs 24 hour assisted living, even an aid will not be enough. In the long run, hiring aids to be with your loved one when you cannot will be expensive. Loved ones that can no longer feed themselves, bathe, get to a bathroom, or keep on accentually injuring themselves, then it’s time to Google “adult assisted living near me.”
The admission criteria for assisted living facility differs with each facility. Seniors with dementia or who are so ill that they need intensive medical care really should go into nursing homes if hiring aids proves too expensive. Seniors with pets are usually allowed in assisted living facilities, but not in nursing homes. Seniors that can still walk are great candidates for the active senior care found with assisted living.
What sets independent living apart from nursing homes and other senior housing?
Independent or assisted living is a program that gives retired seniors the help they need in a day to day scenario, without taking away their sense of independence. Nursing homes can sometimes feel sterile because they handle a great deal of patients, and the cost is increased in order to handle the volume. Assisted living is affordable senior housing that can provide the best opportunity for eldercare.
Rather than commit your loved ones to an environment that feels akin to a hospital, enroll them in assisted living. Such programs often include more services than the standard nursing home and more face-to-face interaction between patient and care provider. This program is the best affordable senior housing option for seniors who want to remain active, and provides a number of planned events that will facilitate a lifestyle of exercise, health, and social connection.
Independent living residents receive assistance with daily activities by trained eldercare professionals, who maintain a friendly relationship with the patient. In opposition to more traditional nursing homes however, independent living allows seniors to otherwise maintain their independence. Assistance is available all day every day, but the staff does everything they can to give the individual a feeling of independence.
Some Assisted Living facilities have contracts with other eldercare providers. One of the most popular programs provides therapy dogs to independent living facilities, allowing patients to interact with a trained service animal. Therapy dogs are regulated to ensure proper behavior, and are brought by the owner to visit patients in the independent living community. Such visits provide unmeasurable amounts of joy, and generally improve the experience of those enrolled in an assisted living community.
A large percentage of seniors will eventually require some form of assistance with their daily life. It is important to choose the right option for you or your family, in order to provide the best experience. Read more blogs like this.
