What is assisted living?
Assisted living (AL) is a form of long-term care that promotes self-direction and participation in decisions. As a model of supportive housing, assisted living emphasizes independence, individuality, privacy, dignity, and choice. It was initially developed to fill the gap between community-based services that support seniors living at home and nursing homes. Assisted living generally places a greater emphasis than nursing homes on preserving "home-like" qualities such as control over one's personal space. Assisted living is growing rapidly, both because it offers an attractive option to seniors seeking assistance while maintaining independence, and because of the costs associated with traditional long-term-care institutions.
Defined broadly, assisted living is any group residential program not licensed as a nursing home that can respond to unscheduled needs for assistance. The spectrum of assisted-living services includes such diverse options as congregate housing, residential-care facilities, board-and-care homes, and adult foster care homes. The package of services can be tailored according to consumer needs and preferences.
"Assistance" in these facilities can be defined as help with any "activity of daily living," which includes bathing, grooming, administration of medications, transferring (help with moving), toileting, laundry, cleaning and meal reminders. However, keep in mind that AL facilities can be very different and offer varying degrees of services. One facility may offer only limited assistance, while another may offer more comprehensive care. AL is most appropriate for the individual who needs some assistance but is not ready for a nursing home.
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Are there assisted-living facilities especially for people with Alzheimer's?
Assisted-living facilities for people with Alzheimer's disease are often referred to as "Special Care Units (SCUs)." SCUs are staffed with individuals who are specially trained to work with people who have Alzheimer's. As such, the environment is designed to be very safe and comfortable, and the activities are designed to benefit the person with Alzheimer's.
SCUs can differ in the level of care they provide along the continuum of the disease. For instance, some assisted living facilities will accept people with Alzheimer's until they need skilled care (nursing home care) whereas others will only accept people who are in the early stages of the disease.
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What do I look for in a Special Care Unit (SCU)?
Some of the specific characteristics to look for in SCUs are:
- A structured routine for residents.
- How much time the staff takes to gather specific lifestyle information
about your loved one in order to individually cater to his/her needs.
- Comfortable, familiar and safe surroundings; ask what is done to ensure
safety
- Compassionate staff.
- Activities that reflect the routines that each individual resident has
established over a lifetime.
- Activities that help people succeed at familiar tasks, whether it is making
their bed or baking cookies. (These activities can help give the person a
feeling of satisfaction and productivity.)
- What is offered for outdoor activities, such as secured walking paths, waist-high
gardening boxes for people to do their own gardening (so the person doesn't
have to bend over).
- Staff's ability to deal with difficult situations and behaviors; give examples
and ask how they deal with them.
- How wandering is handled.
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What questions should I ask?
Below are some of the questions you might want to ask a staff representative
when investigating whether an assisted-living facility is right
for you or your loved one. This list is meant as a guide; since
each person's situation is different, you may need to tailor the
questions to better fit your needs, or add others.
- Do you accept people with Alzheimer's disease? If so…
- How far into the disease will you care for them?
- Is your staff trained to specifically care for people with the disease?
What training do they receive?
- What types of activities do you provide that are designed for people
who have Alzheimer's?
- How many people with Alzheimer's do you currently serve?
- How many levels of care do you have and how are they categorized?
- Aside from the monthly fee, are there any additional costs involved?
- What does the monthly payment include?
- What happens when the family runs out of money? Do you accept state
funding (Medicaid)? If not, what happens?
- How many nurse's aides are scheduled on each shift? How are weekends
handled? What is the ratio of caregivers to residents?
- Is transportation included?
- What are your limitations regarding the needs of the person?
- Do you allow wheelchairs?
- Do you allow oxygen?
- Do you take people who have incontinence problems?
- What is your procedure for handling death and dying? Do you provide
hospice
care services, or does the patient need to be transferred to a nursing
home?
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How much does assisted living cost?
Costs range from $1,500 to $4,000 per month, depending on the facility's licensing, location, services, and care options. Find out about fees when you call.
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How do I pay for assisted living?
Although some facilities accept state funding (Medicaid), assisted living is
ordinarily paid for privately.
To learn more about the different types of coverage, click below:
Medicare
Medicaid
Medigap
Long-term-care insurance
Find more information at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/assistedliving.html
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For a comprehensive list of professionals and services in your area, click below.
Resource Locator
The Resource Locator lets you search for providers by name, state, city, or ZIP code from a list of more than 30 types of health care professionals and services.
