http://www.helpguide.org/elder/congregate_housing_seniors_residential.htm
What services does Congregate Housing offer?
Congregate Housing usually provides the same basic services as most senior retirement apartment complexes:
Congregate Housing Basic Services
* Shared meals
* Housekeeping
* Secure building
* Fulltime staff on duty 24 hours a day to assist residents
* Areas within the building for socializing with other residents
* Planned recreational and social activities
Beyond these basic services, Congregate Housing may have these options, often for an extra fee:
* Laundry service
* Transportation for shopping and doctors' appointments
* Health monitoring
* Help with taking medications
* Assisted daily living
Can Congregate Housing accommodate special needs?
Congregate Housing sometimes offers specialized services for individuals with particular limitations, just like Board & Care homes do. Such facilities may limit their residents to people with:
* Alzheimer’s or other dementias
* Psychiatric disorders
* Physical disabilities
Sometimes such a facility is a good alternative to a nursing home, especially for individuals needing housing-with-services for a limited time period while recovering from an illness or injury, but who do not need constant medical care.
What is the cost for Congregate Housing?
The cost for this type of senior housing ranges between $500 per month to over $4,000 per month. For $500 per month, a senior may get a small one-room apartment with its own bath, and a roommate; but such low rates aren’t available in all communities. In some instances, subsidized housing provides more amenities, including a private room. Three meals a day are usually included, plus activities, and maid service. Many facilities accept seniors who are on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and may require that they share an apartment with another senior. Private, non-subsidized apartments begin at around $1100 per month.
Residents of a Congregate Housing facility must pay for:
* either the purchase price or monthly rent for their apartment
* security and cleaning deposits
* sometimes a buy-in or entry fee into the facility
* monthly fees for any optional services that they enroll in
Most facilities have a rental contract or agreement but many do not require a long-term financial commitment. Seniors who like the facility, may stay so long as they do not require more assistance than the facility can provide. If they don't like the facility, they can leave without penalty.
How do I find a Congregate living facility?
You will find general guidelines for deciding on the type of housing and locating it, in Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care. Searching the Internet under Congregate Housing often yields results that reflect what it has become: a form of Assisted Living. To find Congregate Housing in the sense of subsidized housing for seniors, you can:
* Search the web by using a city or state name. If there is a government-sponsored program, in your area, it may appear that way. For example, a search result for “Oregon Congregate Housing” describes housing subsidized by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and by Medicaid in Portland, Oregon.
* Check senior resources in your community including local and state government programs for senior citizens, or check with your local senior center.
* Find a Geriatric Care Manager—a specialized professional who can tell you about local supported housing options.
* Check with HUD or the local Housing Authority for guidance and listings of facilities in your area.
Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care
assisted living, board / care homes, and nursing homes
Many people remain in their own homes, active and healthy, decades beyond age 65. Senior housing includes a variety of retirement communities for independent living as well as numerous options for those who are having difficulty continuing to manage independently.
Choosing Senior Housing & Residential Care
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In This Article
Types of senior housing and residential care Senior living: health services
Senior housing: difficult to understand? When is a nursing home necessary?
What type of senior housing arrangement is best? Help for locating senior housing
Senior living: personal care References and links
Senior living: community services and activities
What are the main types of senior housing and residential care?
Senior housing is a group-living situation where senior citizens can live in proximity to their peers and partake of a wide range of activities and special services. Senior housing ranges from single-family homes in a senior community to large group living facilities. Seniors who want to remain in their own homes can find resources and direction in Helpguide's Services to Help Seniors Stay at Home.
People who explore senior housing as an alternative for themselves or a loved one find a complex and often confusing array of options and descriptions but senior housing really consists of just 3 basic types:
* Independent living
* Assisted living
* Nursing home care
Assisted living is sometimes called “board & care” and “congregate housing.” Residential care that combines all 3 housing types is called Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s). This gives us 6 major senior housing options:
* Independent Living – For healthy seniors who are self-sufficient and want the freedom and privacy of their own separate, easy-to-maintain apartment or house, along with the security, comfort and social activities of a senior community.
* Assisted Living – Numerous kinds of housing-with-services for people who do not have severe medical problems but who need help with personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming or meal preparation.
* Board and Care – State-licensed assisted living for people who need minimal assistance with personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming or toileting, but who need or want communal meals and easy access to social contact with peers.
* Nursing Homes (Skilled Nursing Facilities) – Facilities with 24-hour medical care available, including short-term rehabilitation (physical therapy) as well as long-term care for people with chronic ailments or disabilities that require daily attention of RN’s in addition to help with personal care such as bathing or dressing or getting around.
* Congregate Housing – Used to be considered a unique combination of private living quarters combined with shared activities including communal meals and other social activities, but is now considered a type of assisted living.
* Continuing-Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) – A complex of residences that include independent living, assisted living and nursing home care, so seniors can stay in the same general location as their housing needs change over time, beginning when they are still healthy and active.
* Payment Options for Senior Housing and Residential Care – Discusses average costs, payment options, and financial assistance programs for senior housing in the U.S.
Why is the topic of senior housing sometimes hard to understand?
It used to be pretty simple. So long as you were independent, you lived in your own home, or moved to a retirement community. If you needed a little help with personal care, and your meals provided, you went into board and care. If you needed quite a bit of help with personal care, or skilled nursing care, you went into a nursing home.
In the last 2 or 3 decades, the world of senior housing has developed many more options for elder care from specialized nursing homes to types of assisted living that prevent being placed in a nursing home. It’s good for consumers, and a sign of hope to the aging, that we have more good choices for care, but it has also led to these complications:
* Different names are used for the same type of housing. A nursing home was once known as an old folks’ home or retirement facility and today may be called a convalescent hospital, skilled nursing facility, or rest home. Among the 26 different names for board and care in the U.S. are “boarding care,” “board & lodging” and “adult foster care.”
* The same names are used for different types of housing. Sometimes “assisted living” is applied to any senior housing where assistance is provided, from just meals (as in some retirement homes), to board and care homes, to nursing homes. The phrase, “long-term care” used to apply to nursing home care for people who were never expected to recover from a disabling illness; but sometimes all forms of senior housing offering assistance that will be needed for many years, are now called “long-term care.”
* The rapid growth of assisted living facilities makes for ever-changing combinations of services in a widening variety of settings. This has led to a variation on the old adage, “If you’ve seen one you’ve seen ‘em all.” When it comes to residential care, “If you have seen one assisted living facility, you have seen one assisted living facility.”
How do I determine what type of senior housing arrangement is best?
After familiarizing yourself with the types of residential care, it’s time to conduct a thorough inventory of the senior’s wants, needs and goals. Some key issues to consider:
* Temporary versus long term care: An older person may go to a nursing home for rehab following a surgery or stroke, then return home. In other circumstances, a senior’s needs are better served by planning a move into a situation that is likely to remain the same for the many years to come.
* Independence: Can the senior live alone, and more importantly, does he/she want to? Or would living in a more service-oriented environment be more nurturing?
* Privacy: Independence and assistance generally form a continuum: privacy decreases as the need for assistance increases. If the senior's desire for privacy is paramount, independent living, assisted living, or a Continuing Care Retirement Community would all be preferable to a board & care home or a nursing home.
* Needs for personal care: How much and what kinds of personal or “custodial care” are needed or desired? There are online needs assessment questionnaires to help determine this and then match the care needs with the right type of housing.
* Needs for medical care: If the senior has a chronic illness that necessitates special medical care, or ongoing services of medical professionals, independent living and even assisted living may not be suitable.
* Costs: Learn about the financial aspects of senior housing to determine what options are affordable for you.
* Walk through and evaluate several care facilities or senior communities that seem suitable. Reviewing facility comparison checklists can help you determine which type of environment fits the senior resident’s requirements and preferences.
* Seek guidance from professionals who are experts in senior housing issues such as medical social workers, case managers or geriatric care managers. They can help with all phases of this process: identifying goals and values, assessing needs, determining what is affordable, and suggesting appropriate facilities.
What types of personal care do senior living facilities provide?
Personal care (also known as custodial care) encompasses what are known as "ADL”--activities of daily living. These commonly include:
* Cooking and cleaning
* eating
* bathing
* dressing
* using the toilet
* getting around the house (mobility)
Additional personal care support may provide assistance with:
* transportation around the community
* medication reminders
* finding companionship
* participating in social and recreational activities
While an independent living senior community does not provide personal care in the home, the various types of assisted living facilities do.
What types of community services and activities do senior living facilities provide?
Depending on the type of senior housing one chooses, optional community services may include:
* Communal Meals
* Housekeeping
* Laundry
* Local transportation
* Exercise facilities, such as pools, saunas and exercise machines
* Arranging for personal or medical care
* Libraries
* Beauty shops
* Gardens
Activities can include:
* Recreational, educational, and social events
* Activity rooms or clubhouses
* Golf courses
* Tennis and shuffleboard courts
* Health and exercise programs or classes
* Chapels and religious services
Independent living facilities are most likely to offer some or all of the above community services, health and recreational/spiritual activities. Assisted living and Continuing Care Retirement Communities may adapt the services offered to meet the specific needs of the seniors living in their facilities. Nursing homes also have a range of services and social activities adjusted to suit the limitations of the residents.
What types of health services are provided? When is a Nursing Home necessary?
If a senior cannot live alone due to forgetfulness, frailty, or a chronic medical condition, assisted living facilities can be explored, but a Nursing Home (Skilled Nursing Facility) might be the only option. Only nursing homes have the medical professionals on staff to address ongoing medical needs, with a care plan supervised by physicians and Registered Nurses on site 24 hours per day. In addition to assisting with custodial care, a nursing home may provide:
* Interim medical care (after a hospital stay for an illness or procedure)
* Rehabilitation services: occupational, physical, respiratory and speech therapy
* Pharmacy, laboratory and radiology services
* Therapeutic recreational and educational activities
* Transportation on a limited basis
* Laundry service (often for an extra cost)
* End of life care (hospice)
* Respite care (relief for caregivers)
Not all nursing homes provide all these services, so it’s important to find the facility that provides the type of care needed. Also, some nursing homes specialize in certain kinds of care for special needs such as:
* Kidney dialysis treatment
* Alzheimer's and dementia care
* Respiratory care
* Parkinson's care
How do I find professional help for locating suitable senior housing or elder care?
The complexities of senior housing and elder care are such that most people are well advised to seek professional services to assist them. Sometimes moving to a care facility on a temporary or long-term basis is dictated by medical necessity. In these cases, the choice of a facility is often made while the senior is in the hospital where you can get the guidance you need from a medical social worker, case manager or discharge planner. If not hospitalized, you can seek the advice of your physician and you can seek community-based geriatric care managers--based in private practice for a fee or based in community agencies for no fee or on a sliding fee scale. See Related Articles on Helpguide below.
References and resources for comparing and choosing senior housing and residential care
Independent Living for Seniors:
A Retirement Community of Peers
While you must be healthy and self-sufficient in order to live in a senior Independent Living facility, many household tasks might be part of the community's service offerings, including laundry, linen service, group meals, local transportation, and planned social and cultural activities. Source: Senior HousingNet
Independent Living for Seniors
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In This Article:
What Is Independent Living? What to look for
Independent living vs. assisted living What services are typically provided?
Good candidates for independent living What do independent living facilities cost?
Types of independent living References and links
Some people dream of spending their retirement in a community of peers, where they can enjoy ready access to a wide variety of social, cultural and fitness activities. Others love the idea of moving to a smaller home that is easy to care for, surrounded by similar senior residences. The common denominator in both visions is self-sufficiency.
What is Independent Living for seniors?
Among the many senior housing options available, Independent Living provides the greatest versatility and freedom. Independent Living for seniors refers to residence in a compact, easy-to-maintain, private apartment or house within a community of seniors. Any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors (generally those age 55+; in some cases the age requirement is 62+) may be classified as an Independent Living community.
Independent Living for seniors is also known as:
* Retirement Communities
* Retirement Homes
* Senior Apartments
* Senior Housing
* Independent Living Communities.
As the name implies, Independent Living is just that: the ability to maintain one's residence and lifestyle without custodial or medical assistance. If custodial or medical care becomes necessary, residents in Independent Living for seniors are permitted to bring in outside services of their choice.
The key characteristics of Senior Independent Living include:
Characteristics of Senior Independent Living
Activities of Daily Living (dressing, personal care)
no assistance provided
Community Activities (social events, outings, golf, etc.)
some activities offered
Community Services (laundry, cleaning, etc.)
many services provided
Health Services (medications, nursing care)
none provided
Environment (personal freedom)
residents are independent
Overall Health (physical, emotional)
residents are in generally good health
Adapted from SeniorHousingNet®
How does Independent Living differ from Assisted Living or Congregate Housing?
Seniors who opt for Independent Living must be able to manage their home and personal needs on their own. In an Assisted Living facility, by contrast, residents require and receive some custodial care, such as help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and eating. Medical care is limited. CCRC’s allow for independent living in separate houses or apartments, with the addition of both custodial (Assisted Living) care and medical (Nursing Home) care as necessary. CCRC residents can move back and forth between various facilities in the same general location, as their needs for care change over time. Unlike CCRC’s, Independent Living by itself is entirely separate from nursing homes or assisted living facilities, which may be quite a distance away from the independent living community.
Who is a good candidate for Independent Living?
Independent Living is ideal for seniors who:
* are healthy and able to care for themselves;
* want to live independently;
* desire the security to be found in a seniors-only community;
* no longer want to maintain a house;
* prefer to live among their peers;
* can communicate with doctors and caregivers by themselves, or with the help of family or friends, but without the help of trained, onsite staff;
* have enough money to pay for the kind of home they are looking for, or else can be satisfied with subsidized housing.
If a senior needs occasional personal or medical care, they must be able to bring in health care providers from outside the community.
What types of Independent Living options are available?
The physical structure of Independent Living facilities is quite diverse. As noted above, any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors qualifies as senior Independent Living.
The available communal space depends upon the Independent Living community. Some provide only a small communal sitting room. Others have entire community centers that include dining rooms and recreational facilities. Most Independent Living units include small kitchens, and some communities also offer meals in a communal dining area. The cost of the facility reflects the amount of community space and its designated use.
The most common types of Independent Living communities for seniors are:
* Senior apartments
* Retirement communities
* Low-income housing
Senior Apartments
Senior apartments are apartment complexes restricted by age, usually 55+. Some senior apartments are converted private homes or converted apartment complexes.
When senior complexes are constructed or remodeled from existing structures, assistive technologies such as handrails and pullcords are often built in as an added value for seniors.
Some senior apartment complexes provide community services such as recreational programs, transportation services, and meals in a communal dining room.
Retirement Communities
Retirement communities are groups of homes or condominiums that are restricted to seniors age 55 and over (or in some cases, 62+). Retirement communities may be:
* single-family or attached homes
* mobile or manufactured homes
* cluster housing
* standard subdivisions
Depending on the particular community, residents may lease or buy their housing unit. Some senior communities are enormous, with residents numbering in the thousands. Others have only a few hundred residents. Again, the services and shared facilities vary.
Low-Income Housing
Many senior apartment complexes are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Because these apartments are usually rented at below-market rates, waiting lists can take years to turn over. For details see Congregate Housing for Seniors.
What should I look for in an Independent Living for seniors unit?
Regardless of the type of Independent Living situation you choose, you may want to keep some or all of the following considerations in mind in order to find the community that best suits your needs:
* Is parking convenient to your living unit, and is the parking area well lit?
* Is there a security guard or a gated entrance to the facility?
* Is public transportation available?
* Do you want a unit that is built all on one floor, or are stairs OK?
* How close is the Independent Living community to a medical facility and/or your doctor?
* Do amenities such as cabinets and storage space meet your present and possible future needs?
* Is the shower/bathtub adaptable to your needs as you age? (e.g., can grab bars be installed?)
* Are the community services that are provided what you want and need?
What services are typically provided?
The built-in benefits of senior-only communities are:
* Many peers living nearby with whom to socialize
* Features designed into the housing to provide comfort, security, and safety for seniors
Independent Living facilities often include a number of optional services, including:
* Recreational, educational, and social activities such as shopping trips and cultural outings
* Communal Meals
* Housekeeping
* Local transportation
* Exercise facilities, such as pools, saunas and exercise machines
* Libraries
* Beauty shops
* Gardens
* Activity rooms or clubhouses
* Golf courses
* Tennis and shuffleboard courts
Some communities include full-time directors for social or recreational services, while others offer only informal activities. Some facilities even have a social worker on staff to assist in contacting agencies that provide medical or personal care. Many also are gated communities with their own security guards.
What do Independent Living facilities for seniors cost?
Because Independent Living options for seniors vary so widely, and given the ongoing market fluctuations in real estate throughout the U.S., there is no way to predict what your particular Independent Living situation might cost. However, there are some guidelines that correlate with the Independent Living options described earlier.
Low End
The lowest cost Independent Living facilities are those that are subsidized by public or private charities, or through HUD. The cost of the subsidized housing is a percentage of the senior resident's income. Note that Medicare and Medicaid will not cover any portion of your housing payment since they are forms of health insurance, and no healthcare is provided in an Independent Living arrangement.
Mid-range
The next level of Independent Living for seniors is rental facilities. Rental fees are indexed to the cost of luxury housing in your geographic area. In addition to rent, you'll also incur a monthly charge for services. Depending upon the services used, the monthly fee can be anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
High End
The highest cost Independent Living facilities are planned retirement communities that require buying a home or living unit. The cost of a home is indexed to the cost of other luxury housing in your geographic area. In addition, the shared amenities of the retirement community are figured into a monthly fee of $1000 to $2000. This fee covers taxes, common utilities, and community services.
http://www.carepathways.com/checklist-il.cfm
Congregate Housing usually provides the same basic services as most senior retirement apartment complexes:
Congregate Housing Basic Services
* Shared meals
* Housekeeping
* Secure building
* Fulltime staff on duty 24 hours a day to assist residents
* Areas within the building for socializing with other residents
* Planned recreational and social activities
Beyond these basic services, Congregate Housing may have these options, often for an extra fee:
* Laundry service
* Transportation for shopping and doctors' appointments
* Health monitoring
* Help with taking medications
* Assisted daily living
Can Congregate Housing accommodate special needs?
Congregate Housing sometimes offers specialized services for individuals with particular limitations, just like Board & Care homes do. Such facilities may limit their residents to people with:
* Alzheimer’s or other dementias
* Psychiatric disorders
* Physical disabilities
Sometimes such a facility is a good alternative to a nursing home, especially for individuals needing housing-with-services for a limited time period while recovering from an illness or injury, but who do not need constant medical care.
What is the cost for Congregate Housing?
The cost for this type of senior housing ranges between $500 per month to over $4,000 per month. For $500 per month, a senior may get a small one-room apartment with its own bath, and a roommate; but such low rates aren’t available in all communities. In some instances, subsidized housing provides more amenities, including a private room. Three meals a day are usually included, plus activities, and maid service. Many facilities accept seniors who are on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and may require that they share an apartment with another senior. Private, non-subsidized apartments begin at around $1100 per month.
Residents of a Congregate Housing facility must pay for:
* either the purchase price or monthly rent for their apartment
* security and cleaning deposits
* sometimes a buy-in or entry fee into the facility
* monthly fees for any optional services that they enroll in
Most facilities have a rental contract or agreement but many do not require a long-term financial commitment. Seniors who like the facility, may stay so long as they do not require more assistance than the facility can provide. If they don't like the facility, they can leave without penalty.
How do I find a Congregate living facility?
You will find general guidelines for deciding on the type of housing and locating it, in Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care. Searching the Internet under Congregate Housing often yields results that reflect what it has become: a form of Assisted Living. To find Congregate Housing in the sense of subsidized housing for seniors, you can:
* Search the web by using a city or state name. If there is a government-sponsored program, in your area, it may appear that way. For example, a search result for “Oregon Congregate Housing” describes housing subsidized by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and by Medicaid in Portland, Oregon.
* Check senior resources in your community including local and state government programs for senior citizens, or check with your local senior center.
* Find a Geriatric Care Manager—a specialized professional who can tell you about local supported housing options.
* Check with HUD or the local Housing Authority for guidance and listings of facilities in your area.
Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care
assisted living, board / care homes, and nursing homes
Many people remain in their own homes, active and healthy, decades beyond age 65. Senior housing includes a variety of retirement communities for independent living as well as numerous options for those who are having difficulty continuing to manage independently.
Choosing Senior Housing & Residential Care
Email this!EmailPrint this!Print
In This Article
Types of senior housing and residential care Senior living: health services
Senior housing: difficult to understand? When is a nursing home necessary?
What type of senior housing arrangement is best? Help for locating senior housing
Senior living: personal care References and links
Senior living: community services and activities
What are the main types of senior housing and residential care?
Senior housing is a group-living situation where senior citizens can live in proximity to their peers and partake of a wide range of activities and special services. Senior housing ranges from single-family homes in a senior community to large group living facilities. Seniors who want to remain in their own homes can find resources and direction in Helpguide's Services to Help Seniors Stay at Home.
People who explore senior housing as an alternative for themselves or a loved one find a complex and often confusing array of options and descriptions but senior housing really consists of just 3 basic types:
* Independent living
* Assisted living
* Nursing home care
Assisted living is sometimes called “board & care” and “congregate housing.” Residential care that combines all 3 housing types is called Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s). This gives us 6 major senior housing options:
* Independent Living – For healthy seniors who are self-sufficient and want the freedom and privacy of their own separate, easy-to-maintain apartment or house, along with the security, comfort and social activities of a senior community.
* Assisted Living – Numerous kinds of housing-with-services for people who do not have severe medical problems but who need help with personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming or meal preparation.
* Board and Care – State-licensed assisted living for people who need minimal assistance with personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming or toileting, but who need or want communal meals and easy access to social contact with peers.
* Nursing Homes (Skilled Nursing Facilities) – Facilities with 24-hour medical care available, including short-term rehabilitation (physical therapy) as well as long-term care for people with chronic ailments or disabilities that require daily attention of RN’s in addition to help with personal care such as bathing or dressing or getting around.
* Congregate Housing – Used to be considered a unique combination of private living quarters combined with shared activities including communal meals and other social activities, but is now considered a type of assisted living.
* Continuing-Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) – A complex of residences that include independent living, assisted living and nursing home care, so seniors can stay in the same general location as their housing needs change over time, beginning when they are still healthy and active.
* Payment Options for Senior Housing and Residential Care – Discusses average costs, payment options, and financial assistance programs for senior housing in the U.S.
Why is the topic of senior housing sometimes hard to understand?
It used to be pretty simple. So long as you were independent, you lived in your own home, or moved to a retirement community. If you needed a little help with personal care, and your meals provided, you went into board and care. If you needed quite a bit of help with personal care, or skilled nursing care, you went into a nursing home.
In the last 2 or 3 decades, the world of senior housing has developed many more options for elder care from specialized nursing homes to types of assisted living that prevent being placed in a nursing home. It’s good for consumers, and a sign of hope to the aging, that we have more good choices for care, but it has also led to these complications:
* Different names are used for the same type of housing. A nursing home was once known as an old folks’ home or retirement facility and today may be called a convalescent hospital, skilled nursing facility, or rest home. Among the 26 different names for board and care in the U.S. are “boarding care,” “board & lodging” and “adult foster care.”
* The same names are used for different types of housing. Sometimes “assisted living” is applied to any senior housing where assistance is provided, from just meals (as in some retirement homes), to board and care homes, to nursing homes. The phrase, “long-term care” used to apply to nursing home care for people who were never expected to recover from a disabling illness; but sometimes all forms of senior housing offering assistance that will be needed for many years, are now called “long-term care.”
* The rapid growth of assisted living facilities makes for ever-changing combinations of services in a widening variety of settings. This has led to a variation on the old adage, “If you’ve seen one you’ve seen ‘em all.” When it comes to residential care, “If you have seen one assisted living facility, you have seen one assisted living facility.”
How do I determine what type of senior housing arrangement is best?
After familiarizing yourself with the types of residential care, it’s time to conduct a thorough inventory of the senior’s wants, needs and goals. Some key issues to consider:
* Temporary versus long term care: An older person may go to a nursing home for rehab following a surgery or stroke, then return home. In other circumstances, a senior’s needs are better served by planning a move into a situation that is likely to remain the same for the many years to come.
* Independence: Can the senior live alone, and more importantly, does he/she want to? Or would living in a more service-oriented environment be more nurturing?
* Privacy: Independence and assistance generally form a continuum: privacy decreases as the need for assistance increases. If the senior's desire for privacy is paramount, independent living, assisted living, or a Continuing Care Retirement Community would all be preferable to a board & care home or a nursing home.
* Needs for personal care: How much and what kinds of personal or “custodial care” are needed or desired? There are online needs assessment questionnaires to help determine this and then match the care needs with the right type of housing.
* Needs for medical care: If the senior has a chronic illness that necessitates special medical care, or ongoing services of medical professionals, independent living and even assisted living may not be suitable.
* Costs: Learn about the financial aspects of senior housing to determine what options are affordable for you.
* Walk through and evaluate several care facilities or senior communities that seem suitable. Reviewing facility comparison checklists can help you determine which type of environment fits the senior resident’s requirements and preferences.
* Seek guidance from professionals who are experts in senior housing issues such as medical social workers, case managers or geriatric care managers. They can help with all phases of this process: identifying goals and values, assessing needs, determining what is affordable, and suggesting appropriate facilities.
What types of personal care do senior living facilities provide?
Personal care (also known as custodial care) encompasses what are known as "ADL”--activities of daily living. These commonly include:
* Cooking and cleaning
* eating
* bathing
* dressing
* using the toilet
* getting around the house (mobility)
Additional personal care support may provide assistance with:
* transportation around the community
* medication reminders
* finding companionship
* participating in social and recreational activities
While an independent living senior community does not provide personal care in the home, the various types of assisted living facilities do.
What types of community services and activities do senior living facilities provide?
Depending on the type of senior housing one chooses, optional community services may include:
* Communal Meals
* Housekeeping
* Laundry
* Local transportation
* Exercise facilities, such as pools, saunas and exercise machines
* Arranging for personal or medical care
* Libraries
* Beauty shops
* Gardens
Activities can include:
* Recreational, educational, and social events
* Activity rooms or clubhouses
* Golf courses
* Tennis and shuffleboard courts
* Health and exercise programs or classes
* Chapels and religious services
Independent living facilities are most likely to offer some or all of the above community services, health and recreational/spiritual activities. Assisted living and Continuing Care Retirement Communities may adapt the services offered to meet the specific needs of the seniors living in their facilities. Nursing homes also have a range of services and social activities adjusted to suit the limitations of the residents.
What types of health services are provided? When is a Nursing Home necessary?
If a senior cannot live alone due to forgetfulness, frailty, or a chronic medical condition, assisted living facilities can be explored, but a Nursing Home (Skilled Nursing Facility) might be the only option. Only nursing homes have the medical professionals on staff to address ongoing medical needs, with a care plan supervised by physicians and Registered Nurses on site 24 hours per day. In addition to assisting with custodial care, a nursing home may provide:
* Interim medical care (after a hospital stay for an illness or procedure)
* Rehabilitation services: occupational, physical, respiratory and speech therapy
* Pharmacy, laboratory and radiology services
* Therapeutic recreational and educational activities
* Transportation on a limited basis
* Laundry service (often for an extra cost)
* End of life care (hospice)
* Respite care (relief for caregivers)
Not all nursing homes provide all these services, so it’s important to find the facility that provides the type of care needed. Also, some nursing homes specialize in certain kinds of care for special needs such as:
* Kidney dialysis treatment
* Alzheimer's and dementia care
* Respiratory care
* Parkinson's care
How do I find professional help for locating suitable senior housing or elder care?
The complexities of senior housing and elder care are such that most people are well advised to seek professional services to assist them. Sometimes moving to a care facility on a temporary or long-term basis is dictated by medical necessity. In these cases, the choice of a facility is often made while the senior is in the hospital where you can get the guidance you need from a medical social worker, case manager or discharge planner. If not hospitalized, you can seek the advice of your physician and you can seek community-based geriatric care managers--based in private practice for a fee or based in community agencies for no fee or on a sliding fee scale. See Related Articles on Helpguide below.
References and resources for comparing and choosing senior housing and residential care
Independent Living for Seniors:
A Retirement Community of Peers
While you must be healthy and self-sufficient in order to live in a senior Independent Living facility, many household tasks might be part of the community's service offerings, including laundry, linen service, group meals, local transportation, and planned social and cultural activities. Source: Senior HousingNet
Independent Living for Seniors
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In This Article:
What Is Independent Living? What to look for
Independent living vs. assisted living What services are typically provided?
Good candidates for independent living What do independent living facilities cost?
Types of independent living References and links
Some people dream of spending their retirement in a community of peers, where they can enjoy ready access to a wide variety of social, cultural and fitness activities. Others love the idea of moving to a smaller home that is easy to care for, surrounded by similar senior residences. The common denominator in both visions is self-sufficiency.
What is Independent Living for seniors?
Among the many senior housing options available, Independent Living provides the greatest versatility and freedom. Independent Living for seniors refers to residence in a compact, easy-to-maintain, private apartment or house within a community of seniors. Any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors (generally those age 55+; in some cases the age requirement is 62+) may be classified as an Independent Living community.
Independent Living for seniors is also known as:
* Retirement Communities
* Retirement Homes
* Senior Apartments
* Senior Housing
* Independent Living Communities.
As the name implies, Independent Living is just that: the ability to maintain one's residence and lifestyle without custodial or medical assistance. If custodial or medical care becomes necessary, residents in Independent Living for seniors are permitted to bring in outside services of their choice.
The key characteristics of Senior Independent Living include:
Characteristics of Senior Independent Living
Activities of Daily Living (dressing, personal care)
no assistance provided
Community Activities (social events, outings, golf, etc.)
some activities offered
Community Services (laundry, cleaning, etc.)
many services provided
Health Services (medications, nursing care)
none provided
Environment (personal freedom)
residents are independent
Overall Health (physical, emotional)
residents are in generally good health
Adapted from SeniorHousingNet®
How does Independent Living differ from Assisted Living or Congregate Housing?
Seniors who opt for Independent Living must be able to manage their home and personal needs on their own. In an Assisted Living facility, by contrast, residents require and receive some custodial care, such as help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and eating. Medical care is limited. CCRC’s allow for independent living in separate houses or apartments, with the addition of both custodial (Assisted Living) care and medical (Nursing Home) care as necessary. CCRC residents can move back and forth between various facilities in the same general location, as their needs for care change over time. Unlike CCRC’s, Independent Living by itself is entirely separate from nursing homes or assisted living facilities, which may be quite a distance away from the independent living community.
Who is a good candidate for Independent Living?
Independent Living is ideal for seniors who:
* are healthy and able to care for themselves;
* want to live independently;
* desire the security to be found in a seniors-only community;
* no longer want to maintain a house;
* prefer to live among their peers;
* can communicate with doctors and caregivers by themselves, or with the help of family or friends, but without the help of trained, onsite staff;
* have enough money to pay for the kind of home they are looking for, or else can be satisfied with subsidized housing.
If a senior needs occasional personal or medical care, they must be able to bring in health care providers from outside the community.
What types of Independent Living options are available?
The physical structure of Independent Living facilities is quite diverse. As noted above, any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors qualifies as senior Independent Living.
The available communal space depends upon the Independent Living community. Some provide only a small communal sitting room. Others have entire community centers that include dining rooms and recreational facilities. Most Independent Living units include small kitchens, and some communities also offer meals in a communal dining area. The cost of the facility reflects the amount of community space and its designated use.
The most common types of Independent Living communities for seniors are:
* Senior apartments
* Retirement communities
* Low-income housing
Senior Apartments
Senior apartments are apartment complexes restricted by age, usually 55+. Some senior apartments are converted private homes or converted apartment complexes.
When senior complexes are constructed or remodeled from existing structures, assistive technologies such as handrails and pullcords are often built in as an added value for seniors.
Some senior apartment complexes provide community services such as recreational programs, transportation services, and meals in a communal dining room.
Retirement Communities
Retirement communities are groups of homes or condominiums that are restricted to seniors age 55 and over (or in some cases, 62+). Retirement communities may be:
* single-family or attached homes
* mobile or manufactured homes
* cluster housing
* standard subdivisions
Depending on the particular community, residents may lease or buy their housing unit. Some senior communities are enormous, with residents numbering in the thousands. Others have only a few hundred residents. Again, the services and shared facilities vary.
Low-Income Housing
Many senior apartment complexes are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Because these apartments are usually rented at below-market rates, waiting lists can take years to turn over. For details see Congregate Housing for Seniors.
What should I look for in an Independent Living for seniors unit?
Regardless of the type of Independent Living situation you choose, you may want to keep some or all of the following considerations in mind in order to find the community that best suits your needs:
* Is parking convenient to your living unit, and is the parking area well lit?
* Is there a security guard or a gated entrance to the facility?
* Is public transportation available?
* Do you want a unit that is built all on one floor, or are stairs OK?
* How close is the Independent Living community to a medical facility and/or your doctor?
* Do amenities such as cabinets and storage space meet your present and possible future needs?
* Is the shower/bathtub adaptable to your needs as you age? (e.g., can grab bars be installed?)
* Are the community services that are provided what you want and need?
What services are typically provided?
The built-in benefits of senior-only communities are:
* Many peers living nearby with whom to socialize
* Features designed into the housing to provide comfort, security, and safety for seniors
Independent Living facilities often include a number of optional services, including:
* Recreational, educational, and social activities such as shopping trips and cultural outings
* Communal Meals
* Housekeeping
* Local transportation
* Exercise facilities, such as pools, saunas and exercise machines
* Libraries
* Beauty shops
* Gardens
* Activity rooms or clubhouses
* Golf courses
* Tennis and shuffleboard courts
Some communities include full-time directors for social or recreational services, while others offer only informal activities. Some facilities even have a social worker on staff to assist in contacting agencies that provide medical or personal care. Many also are gated communities with their own security guards.
What do Independent Living facilities for seniors cost?
Because Independent Living options for seniors vary so widely, and given the ongoing market fluctuations in real estate throughout the U.S., there is no way to predict what your particular Independent Living situation might cost. However, there are some guidelines that correlate with the Independent Living options described earlier.
Low End
The lowest cost Independent Living facilities are those that are subsidized by public or private charities, or through HUD. The cost of the subsidized housing is a percentage of the senior resident's income. Note that Medicare and Medicaid will not cover any portion of your housing payment since they are forms of health insurance, and no healthcare is provided in an Independent Living arrangement.
Mid-range
The next level of Independent Living for seniors is rental facilities. Rental fees are indexed to the cost of luxury housing in your geographic area. In addition to rent, you'll also incur a monthly charge for services. Depending upon the services used, the monthly fee can be anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
High End
The highest cost Independent Living facilities are planned retirement communities that require buying a home or living unit. The cost of a home is indexed to the cost of other luxury housing in your geographic area. In addition, the shared amenities of the retirement community are figured into a monthly fee of $1000 to $2000. This fee covers taxes, common utilities, and community services.
http://www.carepathways.com/checklist-il.cfm