Senior Living Options: what are they and where Do I Begin?
Find Out More about senior living options
Retirement Communities
A senior retirement community offers three main features—security, senior-focused amenities, and a sense of community. Security ranges from gated facilities to emergency alarm response features within the senior homes. Amenities for seniors are based on the age, abilities, and interests of seniors who are 55 and older. A sense of community allows seniors to have social connections with other residents who are in the same stage of life, that being retirement.
Independent Living
A senior independent retirement commuinty is a community for active, healthy seniors who are able to live on their own. You can live in a home, townhouse, condo, and even a mobile home or motor home. You can own or rent or live as part of a cooperative. Think of it like living in your old neighborhood except these communities have age restrictions — usually over 55 — and most offer amenities like clubhouses, gyms, yard maintenance, housekeeping and security. Independent living communities also typically offer transportation, laundry service, group meals, and social and cultural activities.
Assisted Living
In an assisted living retirement community, there is a moderate level of care provided. This type of living arrangement allows seniors to live in their own homes, i.e., apartments, condos, or single family dwellings. However, seniors also receive assistance for basic and vital needs, such as help with getting dressed, meal preparation, taking medication, and transportation.
Residential Care Homes
Residential care homes provide a higher level of care than assisted living, but less care than skilled nursing facilities (aka nursing homes). The biggest difference is more personalized care and staff attention because there are few residents. Each home may offer different services. Some provide a high level of care while others focus on the basics. It’s important to find out from each place exactly what they will and will not provide.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes provide their residents with 24-hour safety monitoring, daily living assistance, and advanced on-site medical care. They also sponsor social activities such as art classes, cooking classes, birthday parties and movie nights. A nursing home is place for a person who can't be cared for at home but don't need a hospital. Nursing homes typically have a nursing staff on site 24 hours a day. Some are set up like hospitals with physical, speech and occupational therapy.
Memory care
Memory care is a type of skilled nursing for people diagnosed with memory problems. Among seniors the typical memory care patient shows symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Some memory care patients have cognitive challenges resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other causes. Memory care is care for people who have diagnosed with memory loss and who need help with areas of daily living (ADLs)
Staying at Home & Aging in Place
If you're like the majority of seniors, you probably want to live at home for as long as possible. You like your feeling of independence. Home care for seniors is healthcare and/or personal care support that's provided in-home. It is designed to delay or prevent moving to a nursing home or assisted living center. The thought of paying for an assisted living facility makes your heart flutter. But there are some activities of daily living (ADLs) like dressing, bathing driving or grocery shopping that can become difficult for some seniors. In-home care provides seniors with home health care, non-medical care and even companionship. You keep your independence and your house.
Downsizing & Decluttering
If you’re ready to move or think you might want to downsize in the not-too-distant future, take a deep breath and start planning. It’s a much bigger task than you’ll ever imagine, partly because the process entails far more than just deciding which possessions to keep and which to toss. Most people acquire things over a lifetime — one decade, year, month or day at a time. Through the years, possessions from clothes to decorative arts can accumulate: Flexible Flyer sleds tucked away in the basement crawl space; bridesmaid’s or flower girl dresses stored in closets; Valentines, birthday cards and other personal correspondence stashed in night table drawers. Sometimes choosing to use a professional might be the right choice for you. It will take away the stress and that overwhelming feeling of the task at hand. A professional senior moving service will…start with you in mind…