What are Assisted Living Facilities for

Assisted Living is a type of senior housing that allows elderly residents to lead more active, independent lives than they can find in traditional nursing homes.

Assisted living communities are an intermediate step between fully independent living, where a resident does not require any assistance with the activities of daily living, and nursing homes that provide 24-hour medical care.

When seeking information on assisted living communities in your area, theInternet can be a valuable, multifaceted resource. Using specialized comparison services, those who are looking for different options can find a community that provides both specialized personal care and general assistance with ADL's. When the complications of aging begin to take their toll, the elderly will surely benefit from the many services offered in assisted living.

Considered as somewhere in-between nursing homes and independent living, assisted living communities <http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/the-benefits-of-assisted-living-and-home-care-489438.html> provide an entire range of services. Trained nurses and other specialized personnel make sure that their residents enjoy the quality of life that they are entitled to. In addition to offering personalized assistance, assisted living communities aim at creating a caring environment that go a long way in lessening feelings of isolation and depression. Many residents benefit from new found friendships and depending on the community and the accommodations offered, they are even allowed to bring their pets.

In relation to ADL's, assisted living communities <http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/the-benefits-of-assisted-living-and-home-care-489438.html> also provide delicious meals, weekly housekeeping and linen services. The personnel are also instructed to offer assistance when it comes to taking medication and managing personal finances. When individuals find it increasingly difficult to live on their own and a nursing home is not a present need, an assisted living community may be the next best thing to living independently. With this in mind, and the sometimes difficult process of locating individual communities online, a single source reference website can be an excellent tool in finding an assisted living community in your area.

Unlike nursing homes, assisted living facilities provide health care and personal assistance for those who are not 100% independent. The best candidates for assisted living <http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/the-benefits-of-assisted-living-and-home-care-489438.html> are not the individuals that require constant health care and assistance with everything they do. The best candidates just need a little bit of help with one or several ADL's, and other regular activities. As senior sometimes require medical attention, assisted living communities may have medical care centers attached to their community, this way a seniors are given an alternative to stand alone nursing homes.

Creating an individual plan for each resident, assisted living communities provide great care and personalized services. With all this in mind, it is best to consider all senior care possibilities. Despite the great service offered by assisted living and retirement communities, many people prefer to remain in their home. If this is the case, Home Care may be an option, offering a superior level of independence then that of a senior community <http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/the-benefits-of-assisted-living-and-home-care-489438.html>.

In addition to assisting with personal ADL's, home care, aids are prepared to take care of housekeeping, provide assistance with shopping and running errands.

Assisted living is often viewed as the best of both worlds. Residents have as much independence as they want with the knowledge that personal care and support services are available if they need them.

Assisted living communities range from a stand alone residence to being one level of care in a CCRC (continuing care retirement community). The physical environment of an assisted living is often more appealing to both potential residents and their families. These communities offer a more home-like atmosphere with apartment styles that typically include studio and one bedroom models. Kitchenettes usually feature a small refrigerator and microwave.

There are many factors to consider when choosing an Assisted Living community including the following:

Location - is the community close to you? Your siblings? Your elderly loved one's friends and relatives?

Activities and Services - What activities and entertainments are provided? Are there opportunities for socialization?

Amenities - Kitchens, refrigerators, microwaves in the rooms? Are there exercise facilities? A mall or supermarket nearby?

Medical Training and Capabilites - What medical training have the staff members received?

Safety Considerations - How many staff members are on duty during each shift?

Financial Factors - How much does it cost?

Currently there are more than 1,000,000 elderly adults in 36,000 facilities around the nation.

HOW THEY ARE PAID

Assisted living is typically paid for from private funds, but there are a few exceptions. Some long-term care insurance policies cover licensed assisted living. Check your loved one's insurance policy to see if it is covered. In a limited number of states, Medicaid funds and waivers are available to help with assisted living costs.

HOW THEY ARE REGULATED

Assisted living is regulated at the state level. Because of that, every state has their own policies that define and regulate what care and services are required for an assisted living community to meet the state standards.

Assisted Living facilities are generally for person's 60 years of age and older. Typical candidates need assistance with "Activities of Daily Living" (ADLs), but wish to live as independently as possible. Assisted Living communities exist to bridge the gap between seniors that can live independently and skilled nursing homes.

Assisted living facilities provide helpful services such as:

1. Eating,

2. Bathing,

3. Dressing,

4. Grooming,

5. Laundry,

6. Housekeeping,

7. Assistance with medications.

While Board and Care facilities are usually in a private residential home, Assisted Living facilities are larger structures often arranged as senior living communities. These communities can contain as many as 400 residents or as few as 25 seniors. Residents of assisted living communities usually meet in a dining room together with other residents for meals.

A person designated as the 'Activities Director' oversees a key area in the assisted living community - Social activities. The Activities Director typically arranges daily options for residents including outings, crafts, dances, music, educational classes, seminars, and other opportunities. All activities are designed to encourage physical and mental stimulation.

Assisted Living facilities create a care plan for each individual resident upon admission. The care plan details the agreed upon personalized services required by the resident and guaranteed to be provided by the facility. The plan is updated regularly to assure that the resident receives the appropriate care as his or her condition changes.

Assisted Living communities are closely involved in the health needs of their residents. They often have a person designated to oversee this called a 'Health Care Director'. They coordinate the monitoring of health related issues involving medication, diet, personal hygiene, socialization and mental acuity to assist the senior and their family as they interact with health care professionals. If a decline is noted in a specific area, family and health care professionals are consulted by the Health Care Director to resolve issues. Often, because of their experience, unexpected emergency health issues are avoided, as signs of a decline recognized and acted upon early.

Residents can live at 'Assisted Living' communities for many years, even as their health declines considerably. Many offer hospice care and end of life assistance.

Technology is allowing Seniors to age in place. Advances in technology saves lives. Baby Boomers are caught in a huge time warp. They have seen more change than any generation. They were the first generation to be raised on TV. Recently, I was stopped at a traffic light. In the lane beside me a man in his mid-sixties was sitting in his 1940 s Rolls Royce, text messaging on his palm pilot.

Boomers as a generation have moved all the way from party-line phones -- to Voice Over Internet Protocol (Voip), Skype, MSN, cell phones and palm pilots. While we are most aware of technology changes in the way we stay in contact with our loved ones, it impacts every aspect of our lives. We know technology is here to stay and we have little understanding of how much impact it will have on our ability to live independent lives as we age.

Each Boomer gets stuck at different points with the latest technology, using some of it but, struggling depends greatly on how long they have been using computers. The Boomer generation and their relationship with technology is like learning English as a second language (ESL) as an adult.

ESL adults struggle their whole lives to become competent in English, whereas the child who learns English prior to age 5, even if it is their second or even third language, experiences little difference than a child whose first language is English. For the Baby Boomer, computers are a second language, and they will always be challenged when faced with learning some new software.

That being said, increasing numbers of seniors are quickly adapting to online shopping and 1 in 3 seniors, most of whom have the computer skills to use the internet, plan to make at least one purchase online in the next year. At a very fundamental level this makes life easier.

Shopping at home is more convenient for those lacking mobility, and will be an asset to most Boomers as they get older. Let s face it; Boomers were not born with a joy stick in one hand and a mouse in the other. Fortunately, computer technology is becoming increasingly user-friendly, and when it comes to living aids, this minimizes the learning curve.

Complex applications of technology show great promise for seniors seeking to maintain independence as long as possible. The good news about most of these devices is they do not require the user to acquire complex computer skills. It is seldom any more difficult than using a TV remote.

According to the U.S. census, approximately 42% of the population age 65 and older is living with a disability. As we move toward 2050, all of the Baby Boomers will be well into their 80 s and beyond. Physical and cognitive impairment will be experienced at a higher rate than in any previous decade.

Young people will be far outnumbered by the elderly, and while it isn`t possible to replace the human side of caregiving, we will be relying on Artificial Intelligence to support our needs and to enable us to live independently for as long as possible. Presently, only 3% of the US population is over 80 and by 2050 more than 7% will be over 80. Computer technology can provide benefits such as lift chairs to help people rise from a seated position, devices to open doors, text-to-speech devices to assist the visually impaired, digital hearing aids and devices to control household appliances using hand gestures.

Alarm devices can bring help when a senior is in need of assistance, and are now able to remind the senior it is time to take medication through the ability of the device to sense when the wearer is eating. Wheel chairs are becoming better designed to avoid obstacles. All of these advances in technology add to quality of life for the disabled and their caregivers.

As longevity increases, it is inevitable that vision and hearing loss, decreased mobility and agility, memory loss and difficulty negotiating routines such as medication schedules, increases. Unfortunately the aging person can be less aware of declining mental and physical capabilities than onlookers are. Most seniors do not see themselves as disabled, and as a result are slower to adopt the devices they need.

This doesn t only apply to technological devices; it applies for simple aids such as grab bars, non-slip surfaces for tubs or tools to help them reach items without climbing on a chair or step stool. In part the ability to accept help comes from educating seniors to the advantages. It isn t hard to accept devices that people of all ages could benefit from, as the aging stigma is removed. One such strategy is an electronic scheduling device.

Electronic scheduling devices
can be programmed to help someone with a complex regime to stay on track. For instance, a diabetic who must eat meals at specified intervals and take specific medications at meal time and at bedtime can have a challenge, even if they are mentally alert. The ability to use a device with reminder alarms can improve results of a treatment plan.

Another category of assistive devices that most people have little difficulty accepting are devices that allow them to continue their favourite activities. Oversized playing cards or implements that help with low vision or limited fine motor skills, such as finger dexterity, enable users to continue the things they love to do. Aids that take the place of bending and lifting allow seniors to continue activities like bowling, golfing and gardening.

Alzheimers disease or dementia sufferers are the focus of researchers seeking to develop Artificial Intelligence to assist those who have cognitive impairment. Telecare electronically brings trained professionals to those who need advice and/or to monitor activities. Assessment systems that track activities alert caregivers if changes in behaviour patterns indicate the user is not performing daily activities consistently by assessing the elder s cognitive status.

Systems at this level provide assurance (Assurance Systems) and more in-depth systems offer compensation (Compensation Systems) by reminding the elder to carry out daily activities, what they need to do and how to do it. Devices and systems that monitor activity help design programs to give the level of assistance needed and can call for help if someone has fallen, failed to eat or take medication and so on.

Sensors determine if the user has opened fridges, cabinets, or outside doors. Thermal sensors and pressure sensors determine if the user is sitting on a chair, laying in bed, or whether they have turned on a stove. Biosensors measure vital signs such as heart rate and body temperature. More complicated activities such as preparing meals, doing housework or paying bills are functions a person must be able to manage to live independently.

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