Is Assisted Living a Good Option for you?

Some people are planners. They plan ahead, making decisions early about growing older; other people tend to wait until a move is necessary or overdue. If an older adult is living in the family home, daily activities and home maintenance may become overwhelming for them and their family. At some point, support services in the home may be needed; a move to an easier-to-manage space may work better; or a move to assisted living may be the best match.

Assisted living offers supportive services in an independent-style living arrangement. Residents have their own apartments, affording a level of privacy to which most of us are accustomed. Even individuals who aren't that outgoing and social can benefit from living within an assisted living community. Many activities occur that don't require people to be highly participatory; such as picking up the mail or chatting with someone in the dining room. These could be enough social interaction to help stimulate a person’s interest in keeping in touch with the rest of the world. Most certainly, assisted living communities offer numerous planned activities and arrange special events to encourage a sense of community among residents, family members and staff.

Although the world of senior care continues to evolve, the current industry standard is that a person living within an assisted living community will require approximately 1.5 to 2.0 hours of personal care or services from a staff member per day. Some assisted living communities staff their buildings at a higher ratio based on resident need. In such cases, it is feasible for a person to receive much more than two hours of personal assistance a day, but these services often come at an additional cost. It is important to ask about care services available to determine if the community will meet your needs.

In some cases, assisted living may not be the best fit. Discussing your specific circumstances with a professional CHOICE Elder Care Advisor can help clarify the best options for you, especially if you are:

♦ Very private or reclusive
Even though you will have your own, private apartment where you can maintain privacy, if you feel uncomfortable around groups of 20 or more people, to the point that you aren't able to physically cope, assisted living may not be the best answer. Arranging for in-home care in your current residence or a move to a smaller setting may be a better match.

♦ Visually-challenged or sight-impaired
People who can't see well or not at all may do just fine in an assisted living community, depending on how independent they can be. Assisted living is not one-on-one care and the ability to be self-sufficient for the majority of each day is important.

♦ Prone to falling or have mobility issues
Regardless of where a person lives, the risk for taking a fall will always exist. Balancing out the individual's need for exercise with the possible risk of falling is critical. Having access to an emergency response pendant or in-house monitoring and a safety system are helpful to people who are not steady on their feet, but these are not offered by all assisted living communities.

♦ Experiencing memory loss
Some assisted living communities offer specialty care for people with memory loss while others do not. Memory loss and dementia are complex issues requiring much more extensive information gathering and care on the part of the assisted living community.

♦ In need of help at unpredictable times
In most communities, caregivers are assigned to care for a certain number of older adults. They have blocked out time to help residents with personal grooming, managing their day, and supporting them in planned ways. For this reason, a person who has random needs may not have them adequately met. When care needs can be scheduled and specific, assisted living is a tremendous option. For instance, if a person needs help bathing every other morning, this is a scheduled and predictable event and can be easily managed by staff. Whereas, a resident that has mobility issues and needs help getting in and out of a chair, will not do well having to wait for a caregiver to assist with making a bathroom visit at a specific time each day.

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