Choosing An Assisted Living Facility –  A Complete Guide for Seniors

Many of us with old age parents to look after are aware of the concept of assisted living facility. As most of us are working these days with very little or no time at our disposal to look after the ageing parents, they look for a facility where their parents could be looked after. Here an assisted living facility fits the bill.

What is Assisted Living

Assisted living is a type of senior living where seniors live in a home like setting and they are assisted with daily living activities such as  toileting, bathing and dressing. Such spaces are designed in a way to ensure maximum independence to seniors.

Market Size Of Assisted Living

The current (2024) market size of assisted living industry is US$89.4 Bn. This industry is supposed to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2024 and 2031. As per this prediction, the market will reach US$129.2 Bn by 2031.

Some Facts About Assisted Living

As per data available, 20 %  adults in the united states aged 85 and more said that they need assistance with their daily routine like eating, bathing and taking medicines.

Eligibility for Assisted Living

Most people want to send their parents and seniors to assisted living facilities given excellent amenities and services available there. But not everyone is qualified to get admitted to an assisted living facility.

The Age Should Be Right

Age is an important consideration for getting a place at an assisted living centre. The age criteria differs from one assisted living facility to another. For some facilities the minimum age is 55 years while for some others it is 62 to 65 years.

Stable Health is Another Requirement

To get admission in an assisted living, the candidates should be relatively in stable health. As seniors get admitted to these facilities, it is hard to be in good health so they are expected to be in relatively stable health.  If the person concerned requires extensive medication and medical care he might not be a good fit for assisted living but nursing home. A medical assessment would be done to know your medical status. The applicant has to submit their medical history while applying.

Does He Require Support

The seniors who want to find a place in an assisted living facility should be in the need of this facility. They should be unable to perform daily activities on their own. He should be in the need of support for toileting, feeding, grooming and walking. If the candidate is able to do it on their own, then assisted living facility is not for him.

Who is Not Qualified for Assisted Living Facility

Not everyone is qualified to get a berth in assisted living facility as not everyone is suited for it. Some people are better suited for nursing home than for an assisted living facility.

Memory Care

The patients suffering from memory care issues are not qualified for assisted living facilities. Patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are not qualified for assisted living facility.

Bedridden Patients

Bedridden patients need continual care and support which is not possible in assisted living facilities. Assisted living facilities don’t allow such patients. These patients could be better cared off in nursing homes.

Complex Medical Condition

Some people have complex medical condition and they require continuous medical attention. Such medical requirements can’t be met at an assisted living facility.

Benefits of Assisted Living

Assisted living comes with a number of benefits and it is why  the industry of assisted living has got organized. Despite our best efforts we are not able to provide our seniors required care. Here assisted living comes to our rescue. Here are the benefits of assisted living.

They Offer Personalized Care

One of the top benefits of hiring assisted living is to provide personalized care to your parents. Every senior has a different set of requirements so the care needed by them is also different. Assisted living staff is trained enough to assess the requirements of seniors. Some seniors may have movement issues, some have heart issues and some others have other specific kind of issues. The assisted living staff know their requirements better and devise a nursing strategy accordingly.

They Help With Routine Activities

Seniors often need help with their daily routines and here assisted living personnel has a great role to play. The identify the areas where support is needed and plan a strategy accordingly. Often times, senior need help with activities like transportation, cleaning, bathing, dressing and walking nearby. Sometimes they also suffer through memory loss and  need assistance with their schedule. These roles are very demanding and it need intervention from experienced professionals. Here an assisted living company with years of experience and trained staff can meet your requirements. You should tell your requirements while hiring an assisted living company.

They Ensure Safety

When it comes to care for seniors, safety and security are major concerns. An assisted living service make sure that loopholes in their security is being looked after. They ensure their safety during transportation, cooking and daily routines like bathing and dressing. Such personnel are trained for it. They make appropriate changes in the house environment so that falls can prevented. Through their training, they understand, the major area of concerns while their safety and security are concerned.  For the elders living in apartments or community housing they request some design changes so that the seniors get access to the facilities like lift and gardens conveniently.

They Keep Them Active

An active social and physical life work wonders for the seniors. While walking helps improve the health, an active social life has a direct bearing on their mental health. Several studies have found that elders with active social and physical life face less health issues as compared to those who don’t.  A good assisted living service schedules an array of activities so that the seniors can have some physical and social activities. They make a list of age appropriate activities to keep the social calendar of seniors ticking. The take them to libraries, social gatherings or even organizes in-house  events where seniors can socialize.

They Ensure Good Healthcare

As the seniors ages, they come across several ailments and here an assisted living service look after their healthcare needs. Besides providing them with onsite healthcare, they also have tie ups with several hospitals in vicinity so that quality care can be ensured. Every senior has a specific set of health requirements and an experienced assisted living provider assess their situation and plan a health regimen accordingly. No doubt they have dependable emergency care for seniors. If some seniors have to receive a particular therapy on a daily basis, then they also make arrangements for that.

They Offer a Homely Setting

Seniors are best when they stay at home or at least in a homely setting.  An assisted living provider toils to provide a homelike setting. They have all the facilities and services to make them feel at home. Assisted living facilities have a good mix of indoor and outdoor settings. Besides, they are filled with state of the art facilities and services so that they can feel at home. In addition they also have a host of recreational options, making seniors shouldn’t miss their home at all.

They Offer Independence

Not every senior has physical issues and some seniors are quite fit. They just want to join an assisted living facility as they don’t want to maintain a large household in their old age. Such seniors don’t need much assistance as they can comfortably live on their own. They look for an  an assisted living service that offers them independence and fun. Most senior living facilities know this and ensure that such seniors enjoy utmost independence. Such elders need care and solace but hardly needs nursing.  Experienced assisted living facilities understand this and devise a caring plan accordingly. To cater to these seniors they offers independent living facilities.

They Offer Increased Leisure Time

When a senior goes to an assisted living community, they don’t have to worry much about household chores as they are being looked after by the senior living facilities. There are people to clean, cook and perform the routine task. Such efforts lead to increased leisure time for seniors which they can use for personal growth. This leisure time could be utilized for for social and outdoor activities.

They Offer Appropriate Nutrition

Seniors need specific diet plans to keep them in pink of their health. Dietary requirements of every senior is different. Assisted living facilities with an in home dietitian or a nutritionist prepare specific diet plan for every inmate so that their dietary needs can be met appropriately. While keeping the diet rich with nutrients they also ensure that it is tasty show that it can be enjoyed by seniors. They offer a diverse menu and keep them rotating to keep it interesting.

They Offer Peace Of Mind

Above other things, what seniors need is the peace of mind. And  most assisted living communities are well known for offering it. Assisted living facilities take their burden of cleaning, cooking and other things so that seniors don’t have to worry about anything. In addition, they also arrange for transportation and fix appointments whenever they want to go outside. They fix their appointments with doctors and arrange for social outings. They know that peace of mind is important to seniors and don’t leave any stone unturned to ensure it.

Major Services Available at Assisted Living Facility

Assisted living facility offers an array of amenities and services to make the life of inmates comfortable. The purpose of these amenities is to keep senior in pink of their health both – physically and mentally.

Expert Caregivers

Expert care-giving is one of the major things that make an assisted living facility worth living. The caregivers here are trained on how to keep people physically and mentally fit. These facilities have nurses and caregivers who are specially trained to help with day to day activities.

These caregivers help your parents with daily activities like bathing, dressing, toilet and moving from one place to another. If your parents are on medication they also make arrangement for it.

They Provide Meals

Cooking your food yourself comes with various chores like shopping for grocery, cleaning utensil and follow the cooking process. It is not the case with assisted living facilities where you just need to visit the dinning area of the facility to get your desired food.

As food requirements of seniors vary, most senior living communities have culinary experts to meet the  diverse requirements of seniors. The meal plan for assisted living is created keeping in mind main course, side dishes and deserts. Fresh fruit, snacks and drinks are also part of meal. For people with medical conditions special meals are created to meet their dietary needs.

No Worries About Maintenance

Assisted living communities are known for complete services. Right from maintenance to laundry housekeeping, everything is being done by the service provider that means more time at your disposal for your leisure activities. Right from dusting to cleaning and making your bed to maintaining your apartment, the assistance living facilities do it all.

Security is Top Priority

An assisted living facility offers an array of amenities and services. But it is security that makes top priority for them. They make enough arrangements to ensure 24/7 flawless security for seniors. They have trained staff and sophisticated amenities and equipment  to provide complete safety and security. Right from wheelchair ramps to handrails and wide exits to elevators everything is planned to provide utmost security to seniors.

Physical and Social Activities

Food, safety and care are important but more is required for well being of seniors. They need to get involved in physical and social activities to remain physically and mentally fit.

When it comes to physical activities, the caregivers allow them to walk, do light exercise, do yoga and other physical activities.

If they have interesting in reading and getting involved in intellectual activities, the caregivers take them to libraries and book clubs where they can read, write and get involved in literary activities.

When it comes to social activities they take them to various events, parties and social gatherings.

Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Home

As we are exploring different aspects of assisted living communities, here it is relevant to understand the difference between assisted living and nursing home. Here are the differences.

Assisted living is ideal suited for seniors with certain range of abilities and allows them to lead a good life.

On the other hand nursing homes are best suited for those with complex medical conditions. Nursing homes are good for bedridden and those with movement disability.  

Assisted living communities are also best suited for those who are not physically fit but mentally sharp. Assisted living facilities help these people by helping them with daily activities.

Nursing homes are good for those suffering from severe medical conditions and need medical attention on daily basis.

No comparison of assisted living and nursing home can be said complete unless we compare the prices. The prices of nursing home facilities are twice as compared to assisted living facilities.

How to Choose An Assisted Living Facility

As you have got abreast of benefits of assisted living for your parents, you might be looking forward to a good assisted living facility for your seniors. Here we are offering certain tips that will help you find the right facility for your parents.

It Should be Affordable

Affordability is one of the major considerations while choosing  a senior care facility. You can’t think of a facility which is not within your budget. Before you going to visit a facility,  you should check the budget of your parents. If you are yourself going to cover the expenses, you should plan a budget you are going to spend.

Once the budget is decided, you should start looking for senior living facilities in your vicinity that  are within your budget. It will save your lots of time.

Be Specific With Your Needs

While looking forward to an assisted living, you should be specific to your needs. Know what kind of assistance your parents are looking forward to. If they have a medical condition, considering nursing home could be a better idea because nursing homes have specialist doctors to look after you ailing parents. Some assisted living facilities also have some physician on their panel. But you should talk to them before finalizing your selection.

Ask For Referrals

Asking for referrals is a good way to get a competent assisted living service. Many in your circle have parent or relative in an assisted living facility. So based on their experience, they can suggest you a good facility. Besides they can also give you valuable tips on how to select an assisted living facility.

Know About the Infrastructure

While searching for an assisted living facility for your parents you should know about the infrastructure of the facility. Know if the facility is comfortable enough. If the bathrooms are easily accessible  to seniors. If it is a multistory building what kind of lift facility it provides. Are their provisions to prevent fall? Only if you are satisfied with the facilities, you should finalize it.

Go Through the Reviews

Want to know the pros and cons of assisted living facilities in your area? Online reviews can help you in this regard. There are various forums and online communities where you can find candid reviews of the assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Users  having visited these sites and voice their good and bad experiences about them. Users also give you information service providers want to hide from us. Here we are not suggesting to take the decision entirely on the basis of reviews but it is one of the important factors you must consider while making a final decision.

Know About the Staff’s Behavior

As you are leaving your parents at an assisted living facility, you must be wanting to ensure that they are being treated well. Ensuring good behavior is tough and it is equally tough to assess their behavior in a few minutes. But the way they talk to you and explain things gives an insight into their behavior.

Besides talking to them yourself you should also watch how they are behaving with other inmates. If they are nice to them you can rest assured that they would be nice to your parents as well. Some people also talk about their behaviors in social media so you should visit the social media page of that assisted living facilities as well.

Quality of Food Served

The quality of food served is also an important consideration while choosing an assisted living service for parents and seniors. As the seniors are already in the weakest phase of their lives they need nutritious and tasty food. You should check if the food served in these facilities is nutritious and healthy. If your parents have particular instructions about the food you should communicate the same to assisted facility administration. You should also know if they can provide a particular food on demand.

Provision For Seniors With Memory Loss

Some people loose memory in their old age. And your parents might be one among them.  Some seniors might be suffering from memory loss diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In such situations seniors are not able to remembers things about them. Most assisted living facilities have memory care services where trained staff provide care to such seniors. Check if the facility you are visiting has such services. If not, how do they meet such requirements.

Give Preference To Near One

As your parents are residing in an assisted living facility you need to visit them very often. You should give preference to a nearby facility as it allows you to frequent it without making a massive change in your lifestyle. Facilities which are far from your place would consume lots of time in visiting.

Decide on a Facility

Based on the above mentioned suggestions, now you are well equipped to make a decision.  You know what  is good for you and your parents.