What Is Assisted Living ?
What Is Assisted Living? - A quick search of the internet will reveal all types of terms used to describe senior care. You'll find facilities that describe themselves as "senior living," "independent living," "retirement home," "nursing home" and even "memory support" to name just a few.
You can't help but wonder how much of the naming issues are due to political correctness, how much is just good marketing and how much of it actually describes the type of care being provided? So it's no wonder that today's terminology is getting more confusing for the average family.
Assisted Living Defined
Assisted living facilities are one of the many options for senior living that best supports each individual as they strive to maintain the highest level of independence possible as they age. For each individual this particular level of independence may vary - but the defining aspect is the desire to support independent living to the highest extent possible.
As we age, it comes as no surprise that we need more and more help with mundane daily tasks such as housekeeping and food preparation. More serious concerns among the elderly also commonly include problems remembering to take the proper dosage and frequency of medications, which can lead to obvious issues if not properly managed.
However needing help with these basic tasks does not mean that you need the level of care that one would find in a nursing home. The residents of an assisted living facility are, by and large, able to take care of themselves.
Some of the services one might find in a typical assisted living facility include help with:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Record keeping
- Dispersing medication
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As you can see these are not primarily medical based living solutions, but rather offering basic assistance with daily tasks that become more difficult is age. Putting it another way, this can be a good option for seniors who get confused sometimes or are having memory issues, because the basic help provided by the staff can help these seniors address these issues without giving up their independence and autonomy.
They differ from nursing homes, which focus on providing nursing care around the clock, because assisted living focuses on creating an enjoyable lifestyle for seniors, and in keeping them independent as possible during their golden years. In this type of facility, seniors are able to socialize, meet new people, enjoy meals in a communal, restaurant-style setting, while feeling confident that their needs and safety are being attended to on a daily basis.
