Find assisted living options
Assisted living is apartment-style housing for seniors who need help with tasks like bathing, dressing, and grooming. You may hear it called a residential care facility, long-term care facility, assisted living facility, or board and care home. While care is a big part of assisted living, these communities also offer activities and services to make life easy and enjoyable.
Assisted living provides a safe setting for seniors, giving both residents and families peace of mind. Caregivers are available 24/7 in case a resident needs assistance. Wide walkways and wheelchair access can be found throughout the building for added ease and safety.
While seniors can always enjoy the privacy of their apartment, assisted living communities provide lots of activities and social events. Options include game nights, happy hours, outings, fitness classes, clubs, and more. Seniors can be as active and social as they want to be. In general, staying engaged benefits seniors physically and mentally.
You may not be sure if your loved one needs assisted living or can live at home safely. Look for signs of decline or changes in health or hygiene. If you’re caring for your loved one, you may find that you need more help. Some caregivers may notice that stress from this role is bad for their own health.
If you think it’s time to talk about assisted living, it’s best to make your loved one part of this discussion. Waiting until a fall or moving after a hospital visit makes it harder to find a good fit, and makes moving more stressful. It’s best to bring up assisted living sooner than later.
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Take our free care quizAssisted living offers a social, active life for seniors who need help with daily tasks. Care is tailored to each senior’s needs and includes help with mobility, medication management, using the bathroom, and more. The services a community provides help seniors focus on what they enjoy instead of spending time on chores. Housekeeping, apartment maintenance, transportation, and laundry are usually offered.
On-site staff help residents with activities of daily living (ADLs), which include tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting. Staff are trained to assist with ADLs based on each resident’s needs.
Staff members help residents move around in personal living spaces and throughout the community. Assisted living communities also have built-in safety features that help ensure safety and promote independence. Some common features include grab bars, wide doorways, transitionless thresholds, ramps, and elevators.
People typically need more medications as they age, making it challenging to keep track of timing and dosage for each one. Assisted living communities help residents manage their medication regimens through reminders and administration, though medication management programs can differ from facility to facility.
Assisted living communities typically provide routine housekeeping services, which can include laundry, floor cleaning, and other household chores. Service intervals vary between communities, and associated costs are often included in monthly rent.
Scheduled, on-site transportation services are commonly available at assisted living communities. These services are often provided at no cost and can be used for personal outings, medical appointments, shopping, and other errands.
Assisted living communities typically feature a number of on-site amenities to create an enriching environment. Offered amenities vary widely between communities but can include gyms, pools, movie theaters, garden walking paths, bars and restaurants, and more.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are typically provided in assisted living communities. Some communities create dietitian-approved menus to fulfill residents’ individual dietary needs.
On-site concierge services are frequently available in assisted living communities to help residents secure a variety of arrangements from transportation to home maintenance and repairs.
Assisted living is a popular care type with a growing demand. When thinking about your senior care options, you’ll find many types of senior living. While other senior care types may offer similar services, there are important differences in the types and levels of care offered to residents.
Note that assisted living doesn’t provide medical care. If your loved one has a complicated or progressive health condition, you may need a nursing home.
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According to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data, the median cost of assisted living in the U.S. is $5,419 per month. Key factors that determine costs include location, apartment size, and how much help your loved one needs. Different pricing models also affect costs. For example, while some assisted living facilities may be all-inclusive, others charge for services based on the senior’s needs.
Typically, an assisted living base fee covers rent, utilities, meals and snacks, housekeeping, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and social activities. Some outings or features may cost extra. Additional expenses may include help with personal care, internet, beauty and barber services, laundry, and pet fees.
You may feel overwhelmed with choices when it’s time to find an assisted living facility for your loved one. In this case, there’s nothing like visiting a community to see a typical day. Touring an assisted living facility lets you see the building, assess cleanliness, and witness staff interactions with residents. You may also try a meal, participate in activities, and talk to other residents. Most assisted living facilities also offer virtual tours if an in-person visit isn’t possible.
One strategy is to tour several communities yourself and then bring your parent to your top two choices. Keep in mind which communities are most likely to appeal to them. Once you’ve chosen a community, staff may refer you to move managers. They may also help remove the moving boxes once you’ve unpacked. If you’re stressed about moving day, consider finding expert assistance to help with this major transition.
A Place for Mom has the largest network of senior living communities and home care providers in the nation. We enable caregivers to make the best decisions for their loves ones.
