Assisted Living
Assisted living communities are designed for individuals who cannot function in an independent living environment, but do not need nursing care on a daily basis. Assisted living communities usually offer help with bathing, dressing, meals, and housekeeping.
What Are Assisted Living Residences?
Assisted living residences are:
1. Housing environments, which provide individualized health and personal care assistance in a home-like setting. The level of care available is between that provided in congregate housing (housing with meal service) and a skilled nursing facility. In these settings:
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Residents are semi-independent physically or mentally, or frail persons who need frequent assistance;
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Services offered include, personal care assistance, health care monitoring, limited health care services and/or the dispensing of medications;
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State licensing and regulation by state social welfare agencies is required.
2. Important because they promote independence by meeting residents' supportive needs while preventing inappropriate institutionalization.
3. Known by various other names. The most common are: personal care homes, sheltered housing, residential care, homes for adults, managed care, catered living, board and care, and domiciliary care.
Who Resides In Assisted Living Residences?
Assisted living housing is often deemed necessary when you have difficulty performing daily tasks and have no one to help you. Some indicators are:
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Needing help preparing meals, bathing, dressing, toileting, or taking medication -needing assistance with housekeeping chores or laundry
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Requiring some health care assistance or monitoring
needing transportation to doctors, shopping, and personal business -
Feeling frequently confused or experiencing memory problems
Use this checklist to evaluate characteristics you should look for in an assisted living residence:
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Does the residence have a home-like atmosphere?
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Does the residence appear small in size and not feel overwhelming?
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Does the residence offer personalized health care services?
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Does the staff encourage performing tasks yourself with assistance?
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Do units have a full bathroom and kitchenette?
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Is there an emergency call system?
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Are friends and family close enough to visit and are they encouraged to do so?
Cost & Financial Service
Currently most assisted living facilities are privately operated. This means that the costs of care are not usually covered by publicly financed programs. The average fee, which includes meals and personal care assistance, ranges from $1,200 to $2,000 a month. Costs are often keyed to your level of impairment and service need.
In some states, rent or service subsidies are available. However, the typical reimbursement rate provided by Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is often too low to assist those with higher levels of impairment and service needs. Your local social security office and Medicaid Office can determine this.
Four factors are affecting the emergence of assisted living as an important long-term care alternative for the mentally and physically frail:
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Major increases in long term care costs projected into the next century are staggering;
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Demographically, the number of people over the age of 85 is expected to double in the next 20 years, followed by a doubling again in the next thirty years;
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Most older people are seeking more appealing alternatives to live out the last years of their life; and
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Government agencies are recognizing these trends and are likely to introduce entitlement programs that allow older people to choose an assisted living setting instead of a nursing home
Board & Care
Board and care homes are smaller in scale than assisted living facilities. They provide a room, meals, and help with daily activities. Some states will allow some nursing services to be provided, but these homes are not medical facilities. These homes may be unlicensed, and even licensed homes are infrequently monitored by the state.
Where To Get Help:
There are several ways to locate an assisted living facility in your area. Contact these organizations to find out if there are facilities in your area:
Eldercare Locator Service
Directs you to the nearest agency on aging. No charge.
(800) 677-1116
Assisted Living Federation of America
11200 Waples Mill Rd
Suite 150
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 691-8100; fax (703) 691-8106
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