Explore the Options for Senior Living: What’s Right for Your Family? 

Conversing with an aging adored one about a sensitive topic, such as old housing and maintenance, can be intimidating but is often essential to their fitness and well-being. Pulling out of their own house and into a senior live facility could mean a loss of freedom for some seniors. But it doesn’t have to be. Depending on your valued one’s mobility, health, and need for service, many senior care housing choices offer a high degree of freedom while furnishing help when needed. Numerous activities can be stressful for an aged loved one, so providing they live somewhere that can adapt to their needs is essential. On the other hand, some seniors may require a round-the-clock alert to help make everyday activities easier as they enter their final steps. 

Types of Retirement Communities & Senior Living Options

Here is a general summary of the most common options for senior living:

Independent Living

An independent community, an autonomous society, often called retirement residents, requires the most from an older group. Independent residents offer social options, easy-to-manage capabilities, senior-friendly surroundings, conveyance choices, and living in a society with equivalents and older. The purpose of this option is on the amenities that might attract retirees, like a golf course, tennis courts, clubhouse, beauty salon, barbershop, fitness center, or cafe. Care services and personal services are usually not offered. This option is best suited for fit and active seniors looking to downsize after retirement or snowbirds who want to travel continually.

Assisted Living

If your parents or loved one is no longer safe or healthy living on their own, an obligated living society is a long-term care solution. An assisted living resident offers around-the-clock care services by trained care managers in a home-like atmosphere. The care staff can help a resident with the activities of daily living like dressing, toileting, personal hygiene, grooming, bathing, eating, and sharing. Most helped living communities operate an on-staff nurse to oversee each resident’s care and address any changes in their care. Also, a supported living community controls the everyday duties of the citizens, like cooking three meals per day, providing snacks and drinks, housekeeping, laundry services, and conveyance to appointments. In addition to professional care and consent, assisted living residents are built on a friendly model. Although residents live in private flats, they are motivated to engage and interact with their neighbors, staff members, and new friends throughout the day. These communities generally offer various entertainment options, daily workouts, exercise classes, tours, and events to promote friendships and fellowship. These communities have a staff of life enrichment directors who schedule a full calendar of rotating activities based on the residents’ welfare, hobbies, and desires.

Memory Care

Although some obligated living residents offer memory care within their facility or on campus, memory care is a unique option for a parent or loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Memory care residents meet the exact requirements of residents with memory loss through trained staff who can manage the particular conditions associated with memory loss. The care staff provides personalized care to meet the resident wherever they are in the progression of their memory loss. Most communities offer different safety measures, such as external doors that are locked or use delayed escape, motion sensors, emergency call switches, and concealed exits for those who may roam. Flats are changed to meet the residents’ needs and keep them secure. Also, activities, feed, and décor cater to the special care needs of people with memory loss. The goal is to offer a safe, calm, healthy, and comfortable environment while encouraging the citizens to be as separate as possible throughout the day.

Skilled Nursing FacilityNext to a hospital, a skilled nursing facility is one of the best options for senior living which offers the highest level of care. A skilled nursing facility best serves your parent or loved one if they need more medical care or supervision for a short period. It’s a reasonable choice if they suffer from a complicated medical condition, are recovering after surgery or a stroke, need daily therapy services or need around-the-clock medical care. A licensed physician manages each patient’s care in a skilled nursing facility. Healthcare medical experts, such as doctors, registered nurses, and therapists, are always on the assumption. A skilled nursing facility is a more suitable fit if your parent or loved one needs a higher level of medical awareness.