There are many factors that will affect what sort of senior living community you or a loved one will need. As you age, it may become harder to complete certain daily tasks, and this is where senior living comes in. These communities can offer care and support in many areas, as well as vibrant social events and activities. A specialist, such as a physician, will be able to inform you as to what options are most suitable. Here are a few basic things to consider when thinking about senior living options.
What is Senior Living?
Senior Living is a broad term for the many different housing and care options available for senior individuals. What option you choose depends on various factors, and a physician or adult care support worker will be able to assess you and help you make these choices. They can answer any questions you may have, provide you with information and let you know what kind of senior living community would best suit your requirements and needs.
Frontier Senior Living has many communities across the US and offers lots of different options. They work to increase and maintain the quality of life of their residents while encouraging autonomy, dignity, and independence. There are many social events and activities, that promote socializing, creativity and self-expression, and Frontier are able to tailor their services to best fit the needs of the residents.
What are the options?
There are many different options with it comes to senior living communities. Here are a few of the most common ones:
Assisted Living
In an assisted living community, residents have their own private rooms, and access to personal and medical care and support. This can include anything from medication management to housekeeping. Meals are served in a dining-room environment, and there are many social events to take part in.
Memory Care
Memory care is a form of senior living that is specifically for those with Dementia, Alzheimer’s or other memory-related illnesses. At Frontier, it is similar to assisted living, in that medical and personal support and care are offered, but there is an added focus on developing and maintaining cognitive function. The structure supports the retention of memory, whilst self-expression, independence, and dignity are all maximized. There are many social events that residents can take part in, and they live in a safe and secure environment with access to specialized caregivers.
Independent Living
In an independent living community, residents can live in resort-like accommodation, with private rooms and sometimes personal kitchens. There is almost as much independence as you are used to outside of the community, but care and support are available if you need it. Residents live in vibrant and social environment, surrounded by like-minded people who enjoy the community atmosphere.
Respite Care
Many people choose to care for their loved ones themselves, and sometimes at home caregivers need a break. Respite care is a short-term stay in a senior living community, that allows the caregiver to take some time for themselves while their loved one is looked after in a top-quality community. This can allow the caregiver time to rest, do chores or go on vacation, and also provides the resident with a change of scenery, new people to meet and plenty of social activities and programs. Respite care is also a good way to explore the senior living options that are available to you, as you can test them out for a short period. This can help to make decisions easier in the future, if further care is required.
Who is Senior Living for?
As you age, it can be more difficult to complete those daily tasks like cooking or cleaning. You may need help to complete them, or need reminding to do them. This is where senior living communities come in. There are plenty of options and different levels of care available, and you will be able to find one that supports your needs and requirements. A physician or adult care social worker will be able to assess you based on many factors, including your physical and mental health. There are also ADLs and IADLs. ADLs are several daily self-care tasks that the majority of people can complete without help or prompting. IADLs are a further set of daily tasks that are also used to assess you, as they can spot disabilities that the ADLs may not be able to. A specialist will use these tasks to assess how many you can complete and the ease with which you can complete them to figure out how self-sufficient you are, and how well you can live independently.
The ADLs, or Activities of Daily Living, are:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Toileting
- Moving
- Continence
- Dressing
The IADLs, or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, are:
- Using a telephone
- Managing finance
- Managing medication
- Food preparation
- Housekeeping
- Laundering clothing
- Driving/using public transport
- Shopping
These, as well as other factors, can be used by a specialist to assess the type of senior living support you require.
Some people may choose to provide care for their loved ones themselves or by using a home caregiver. This is another common option, but may not be appropriate due to a wide range of factors and senior living communities may be more beneficial. Furthermore, people choose senior living communities when the needs and requirements of an individual become too much to take care of in a home setting, and the individual requires higher levels of care and support.
There are over 19,000 senior living communities in the US alone, and Frontier has 120 locations in 19 different states. The above options are just a few of the ones available to you. It is important to consult your specialist to make sure that you and your loved ones use the right senior living community for you. There is no one size fits all solution, as aging affects everyone differently, so consulting your physician or an adult care support worker is vital in ensuring you or your loved one receives the most appropriate and highest level of care and support possible.