Assisted Living

Assisted living is for people who want to live independently, but would benefit from having access to help with activities of daily living. Assisted living residents live in their own apartments.

Skilled nursing is for those who need 24/7 nursing care and services. Residents live in a nursing home and have their own room or a room that fits two people.

In an assisted living community, a resident has their own apartment, but they may need help with certain aspects of daily life. This could include a staff member coming in once a day to help them with their medications and once a week to provide light housekeeping.

The resident has time to attend the activities they enjoy and eat meals in the dining room while getting to know new friends. Neighbors are close by, giving a community feeling.

Assisted living is not the same as a care home. A care home is another name for a nursing home that provides care and services 24/7.

Residents experience a worry-free lifestyle with customized services that include:

• Help with bathing and grooming
• Laundry and housekeeping support
• Medication management
• Nutritious and delicious meals
• Social, wellness and spiritual activities

It can be hard to judge when you or a loved one should consider moving to assisted living.

Here are some things to consider:

• Can you or your loved one perform day-to-day tasks like grooming, bathing, dressing or managing medications?
• Would you or your loved one benefit from more social activities or programs?
• Do you or your loved one need help with chores like lawn care or meal preparation?

If you said yes to these questions, you or your loved one would likely benefit from assisted living services.

Give examples of how their daily lives will be easier.

Assisted living communities can take care of many chores people may not want to do anymore, like housekeeping, yard work and cooking.

Since assisted living communities employ licensed health care providers, your loved one can also get help with health-related issues. Our team also assists with everyday activities like bathing, getting dressed or taking medication.

A move to assisted living can help your loved one with what they need and free up time to do the things they want, like spending more time with family and friends.

Talk to your loved one about how they may qualify. Assisted living can help if they:

• Need help with daily tasks
• Can move around independently
• Don’t need around-the-clock care
• Can mostly manage their medical conditions on their own
• Want to live actively in a social community

Assisted living costs vary by location and the level of care and services chosen, so it's important to learn about payment options.

Your options may include:

• Long-term care insurance
• Medicaid
• Private pay

Private health insurance and Medicare usually don't cover assisted living services.

Learn more about payment options that may be available.

Your loved one may feel isolated and lonely at home, even if they don’t want to talk about it.

Moving to an assisted living community can help them connect with other seniors and keep them active.

Knowing 24-hour staff assistance is available can also give you peace of mind and help your loved one feel safer.

It's easy to gloss over a problem your loved one has been just "dealing with" on their own.

Ask them questions they might not have considered yet, like:

• Can you do everyday tasks easily, without assistance?
• Are you eating as healthily or as well as you should be?
• Do you always feel safe in your own home, and when you’re running errands?
• Do you wish more people were around to talk to?

Have them take a closer look and consider how their lives might be better with a little assistance.

Talk to your loved one about what’s most important to them, and find communities that offer those options.

• Do they want a full-sized kitchen to cook in, or would they rather have meals prepared for them?
• Is it important to have a second bedroom, or would a studio apartment be sufficient?
• Is there scheduled transportation to help them run errands, or is there a private parking lot for their car?
• Do they want help with housekeeping or laundry?
• Is there an on-site hair salon? Wellness classes or equipment? A chapel? Social activities? A place to have coffee and snacks?

Take some time to find an assisted living community with amenities, services and apartment layouts that best suit your loved one’s lifestyles and preferences.

Focus on telling your loved one how you feel, not what they should do.

Use "what if..." language instead of "you should..." or "you need to..." language that may make your loved one feel defensive.

Express why you're concerned about her health or safety, and offer information they can look at to learn more.

Encourage your loved one to keep an open mind, and assure them the final decision is theirs to make.

Most assisted living communities allow residents to choose exactly what they want assistance with, and to adjust their care plans if their needs change.

Moving to an assisted living community could actually give your loved one more independence, with less to worry about and more time to do what they want to do.

When your loved one gets help with daily activities and cuts out household chores, they’ll likely find they have more time and energy to do the things they truly care about.

Each day at an assisted living community can give your loved one the chance to live life exactly the way they want.