Once you know you or your parent need more support, it’s time to find a place with the services and environment that best fit your needs. Here are some of the most commonly available options and what you can expect from each.
This a good option for older adults without daily care needs, but cannot or no longer wish to cook, drive and keep up with maintaining a home. The monthly apartment rental rate often includes meals, housekeeping, maintenance, laundry, transportation, events and programs.
With many of the same convenient services and amenities as retirement homes, these communities offer more skilled staffing and are licensed to offer support with bathing, dressing, mobility assistance, medication administration, and incontinence care. Care services are typically an extra charge in addition to the monthly rental rate.
Specially designed for people in various stages of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, these communities offer a comfortable but more secure environment, with staff specially trained to understand and address the unique needs of people living with memory loss. Memory care communities offer the same convenient services and amenities as assisted living communities – and are sometimes located in the same building or campus – the cost of care is often significantly higher.
These homes offer similar care services as assisted living, but are a good choice for people who prefer a relaxed, more intimate environment – ten or fewer residents and a high staff-to-resident ratio. Care services are typically an extra charge in addition to the monthly rental rate.
These facilities are for older adults with long-term care needs that exceed what the other options are licensed to provide, such as tube-feeding, catheterization, and other invasive medical procedures, or are completely bedridden. Medicare and Long-Term Care Insurance can often be applied to care costs.
