What is Assisted Living?

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living facilities are for people needing assistance with Activities of Daily Living but wishing to live life as independently as possible for as long as possible. Assisted living exists to bridge the gap between independent living and nursing home. Residents in assisted living facilities may not be able to live by themselves but do not require constant care either.

Assisted living facilities offer help with Activities of Daily Living such as eating, bathing, dressing, laundry, housekeeping, and assistance with medications. Many facilities also have centers for medical care, however, the care offered may not be as intensive or available to residents as the care offered at a nursing home. Assisted living can be an alternative to a nursing home, in an intermediate level of long-term care appropriate for many seniors.

A regularly updated service plan is created for each resident upon, admission, detailing the personalized service they require.

How Does an Assisted Living Facility differ from a nursing home?

Nursing homes are designed to care for very frail people that are not able to care for themselves and have numerous health care requirements. Assisted living facilities are designed to assist elderly persons who are able to care for themselves except for a few activities. Assisted living facilities are often deemed necessary when the person in question needs help preparing meals, bathing, dressing, performing household chores, is sometimes confused or is experiencing memory problems.

What are Continuing Care Retirement Communities?

Assisted living facilities are often connected with independent living residences and nursing homes. The combination is known as continuing care retirement community. The resident can take advantage of the full range of services available and the ease of transfer to a different type of facility as his or her condition and needs change without needing to look for a new facility, relocate, or adapt to a new setting. For example, the resident may begin in the independent living residence, move to assisted living as he or she needs help with activities of daily living, and eventually move to the nursing home as ongoing care becomes necessary.

Links to resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+
If you are 50 or older, this guide will help you stay healthy.

AARP
This web site outlines items related to the American Association of Retired Peoples.

ElderCare.gov (Dept. of Health & Human Services)
Connects older Americans and their caregivers with info on services.

FirstGov for Seniors
The U.S. government's web portal for all things related to seniors.

 

The National Center for Assisted Living
(NCAL) is the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the nation's largest organization representing long term care providers.