Retirement is, for most people, the best period of their lives. They have a lot of free time when they can travel or engage in their favorite past time. With the kids grown up and a lovely husband/wife or companion, a person can enjoy a lot of time outdoors or meet with friends and spend time together; generally, one can do whatever he/she wants. But as we age does not bring only positives; there are also downsides. Our bodies are incredible machines that are “designed” to help us survive in this world. But, as they grow older, certain functions which we take for granted may not come as easily as they did in the past. Eyesight, problems with the joints, heart issues; all these are inherent once we grow older. As a result, more and more day-to-day tasks become more difficult, including maintaining a clean household our body, interacting with other people or ensuring the daily supply of goods and services. When the time arrives, it’s better to look for professional help, instead of opening the door to the possibility of harming ourselves. There are plenty of organizations out there that could provide help to us or our loved ones. The best known are senior living adult communities, places where lots of older adults live together and enjoy their retirement years. But these are not the only ones so contact the professionals like those at firstassistseniorcare.com to help you find all the resources in your area that best suit your needs. So, let’s find out more.
Most people opt for the most independent form of living possible depending on how early they choose to move in their retirement years and their health needs. A person’s options range from independent living and assisted living communities with villas or patio homes and apartments to group homes, which are also a smaller version of assisted living.
The main characteristic of larger independent living communities is that in this type of residence individuals and couples living there have their own home or apartment and share common areas where they have many opportunities to socialize with other residents. The concept is built around common activities and a sense of belonging. Many of the residents in these facilities had been living alone in their homes or apartments before they decided to move there. The opportunity to socialize and make new friends again brings new meaning to life for so many. But as with everything your health plays an important role in utilizing these opportunities. The main aim of senior living facilities is to help residents live a happy and fulfilling life. The organization running the facility takes care of everything, from gardening to a chef preparing meals which are served in the main restaurant style dining room, providing security and organizing various activities and events for residents. Because residents in these facilities can take care of themselves, medical assistance is not provided but many communities have access available to home health services onsite. Basically, senior living facilities help residents take it easy during the last part of their lives. Most residents would be able to live normal lives by themselves, but they like to enjoy a care-free time in a community setting.
Assisted living communities are geared more towards persons who genuinely require assistance usually because of a medical condition or physical need. Many people living in assisted living communities require attention when it comes to bathing, doing the laundry or other daily household chores. Doctors and nurses, as well as physiotherapists, in some cases, follow those residents who are living in assisted living residences while the staff provides care 24/7. The larger assisted living communities provide numerous social activities, including birthday celebrations, large holiday celebrations, dining in a restaurant style dining room, entertainment and community trips as well as transportation to local doctor’s offices.
On the other hand, a group home is literally a shared household of between 5-10 residents. The home provides assisted living care usually at a higher level than most bigger communities because of the caregiver’s proximity to the residents and their higher staffing levels than bigger communities usually 1-5 staffing ratio. Group homes provide a home-like setting with homemade meals. Residents live normal lives and have either a private bedroom or shared accommodation based on their financial situation. Many people living in group homes require attention when it comes to bathing, doing the laundry or other daily household chores. Doctors and nurses, as well as physiotherapists, podiatrists come to the homes and follow those residents who are living there while the staff provides care all hours of the day and night. Depending on the residents’ psychological or physical abilities as well as their desire to participate in social programs, activities are provided for the residents.
Finally, financial issues also need to be taken into consideration. Costs vary widely depending on your location and the type of community or group home you chose. In an independent living facility, residents pay rent and other fees like meal plans, external trips which vary from community to community. In assisted living communities’ residents also pay rent for their apartment and pay for items such as medication administration and level of care fees which vary widely from $? - $? additional per month. In both independent living and assisted living community residents usually provide their own furnishing for their apartments. On the other hand, in group homes, the rent includes furniture and care costs are included, usually the only additional cost would be for incontinent supplies, doctor’s visits and medications which are usually covered by Medicare. Group homes are staffed by state certified caregivers as well as the manager who is also certified by the state.
I usually tell families if you are more of the social butterfly, and you are still able to participate in larger scale activities and programing the larger communities offer more opportunities for socialization. Group homes offer more opportunities for supervision and closer monitoring. If you fall in a larger community in your apartment you will need to be able to push your call button for help or it may be some time before knows you have fallen, if you live in a group home and call for help there is someone there who can hear you. Hopefully this information will prove useful when considering the options you must have to live a happy and fulfilling life.