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Assisted Living Centers |AssistedLiving
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Assisted Living Centers are
near saturation at 95% occupancy.
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Assisted Living - New Obstacles
Finding space in an
assisted living center -- the increasingly popular low-maintenance
residences for retirees -- is getting tougher.
(Source: WSJ Sept.6)
Demand is soaring as the aging U.S. population goes looking for
someplace staffed to help elderly residents with day-to-day tasks
(housekeeping, pill-taking and the like) but isn't a full-blown
nursing home. Waiting lists are increasingly common, and prices are
rising sharply.
On average,
assisted-living centers cost about $35,000 a year in 2005, up roughly
a third from 2002, before figuring in health-care expenses, according
to a recent survey by MetLife Inc. |
Heart
Attack Warning info |
WHAT IS ASSISTED LIVING?
Assisted living facilities offer
a housing alternatives for older adults who may need help with
dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting, but do not require the
intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes.
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Assisted living facilities may be part
of a retirement community, nursing home, senior housing complex, or
may stand-alone. Licensing requirements for assisted living facilities
vary by state and can be known by as many as 26 different names
including: residential care, board and care, congregate care, and
personal care.
PlusSize
WHAT SERVICES
ARE PROVIDED AT AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY?
Residents of assisted living
facilities usually have their own units or apartment. In addition
to having a support staff and providing meals, most assisted living
facilities also offer at least some of the following services:
- Health care management and
monitoring
- Help with activities of daily
living such as bathing, dressing, and eating
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Medication reminders and/or help
with medications
- Recreational activities
- Security
- Transportation
HOW TO
CHOOSE AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
A good match between a facility and a
resident's needs depends as much on the philosophy and services of the
assisted living facility as it does on the quality of care.
The following suggestions can help you get started in your search for
a safe, comfortable and appropriate assisted living facility:
- Think ahead. What will the
resident's future needs be and how will the facility meet those
needs?
- Is the facility close to family
and friends? Are there any shopping centers or other businesses
nearby (within walking distance)?
- Do admission and retention
policies exclude people with severe cognitive impairments or severe
physical disabilities?
- Does the facility provide a
written statement of the philosophy of care?
- Visit each facility more than
once, sometimes unannounced.
- Visit at meal times, sample the
food, and observe the quality of mealtime and the service.
- Observe interactions among
residents and staff.
- Check to see if the facility
offers social, recreational, and spiritual activities?
- Talk to residents.
- Learn what types of training staff
receive and how frequently they receive training.
- Review state licensing reports.
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Assisted Living Centers |AssistedLiving
Assisted Living Centers are
near saturation at 95% occupancy.
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