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Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care is
a difficult and important process. Every human being, in old age, comes full
cycle to needing others to help them with their personal needs. Some seniors
have few such needs; others have many physical, mental, and emotional needs.
Seniors may need help with:
- cooking
- eating
- bathing
- using the toilet
- finding companionship
- participating in recreation
- mobility in the living space
- transportation around the community
- medical care on a daily basis
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Does This Sound Familiar ?
John and Katherine have been
living at home since their retirement. Now in their 80s, they're finding it
harder to take care of the family home, and they're concerned about what might
happen should their health decline later. They'd like to find an apartment
where they can continue their independent lifestyle, but where they will find it
easy to get help and care if they need it later
on.
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The senior and their caregivers or advocates must match the
senior's needs to the available senior housing and residential care facilities.
In addition, the senior and their caregivers need to consider carefully the
financial capabilities of the senior and their family for covering the costs of
a chosen facility.
What are the types of senior housing and residential care?
The senior, advocate, or caregiver must make a choice from among
the types of senior housing and residential care. The primary choices available
are:
- Independent Living: a community of seniors living in an
apartment complex or retirement community, with no custodial or medical care
- Congregate Housing: Independent Living in a senior
apartment, with the added services of custodial and medical care
- Assisted Living Facility: a group home consisting of
private rooms or apartments, with assistance in activities of daily living, but
little medical care
- Board-and-Care Home: a small Assisted Living Facility
- Nursing Home (Skilled Nursing Facility): a facility with
24-hour medical care available, in addition to custodial care
- Continuing-Care Retirement Community: a residential community
for the remainder of one's life, with a choice of services and living
situations, based on changing needs at each point in time
What are the personal service and medical needs of your senior?
First, assess the needs of your senior. Senior residences and
senior care facilities offer different composites of care. Choose a facility
based on the kind of care required by the senior.
Consider the following needs:
- 24-hour medical care
- Intermittent medical care
- Reminders about or administration of medications
- Supervision of or reminders about daily activities
- Transportation
- Shopping
- Help with exercising
- Social, religious, or educational activities
- Help with one or more of the following Activities of
Daily Living:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Cooking
- Eating
- Using the toilet
- Moving around a room
- Help with special needs:
- Alzheimer's
- Parkinson's
- Respite Care (relief for caregivers who need some time
away from the needy senior)
- Short-term medical care (after a stay in a hospital for an
illness or procedure)
Which living arrangements can meet the needs of your senior?
After you familiarize yourself with the primary types of senior
housing and residential care, you can consider which is best for fulfilling your
senior's needs. A number of reputable organizations offer help in choosing the
best housing and care combination. Some organizations provide checklists for
comparing facilities, once you have chosen a type of housing and care.
The main factors to keep in mind are:
- Cost
- Privacy
- Independence
- Medical care
- Custodial care
- Care for special needs
How can you pay for senior care and residential housing?
Senior Housing and Residential Care is very costly. For a
discussion of this topic, refer to Helpguide's Payment Options for Senior Housing and Residential
Care.
Source: Helpguide.org
Heritage Enterprises Inc.
115 W.
Jefferson St., Suite 401
P.O. Box 3188 Bloomington IL 61702-3188
PH:
(309) 828-4361 FAX: (309) 829-5477
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