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Senior Housing Overview

zeth@greatnessdigital.com April 19, 2016

If you are looking for senior housing either for yourself or for a loved one, it is important to know what your options are and the different types of senior housing that are available to you. Here’s a quick senior housing overview that you might find useful.

Since every older adult has their own specific needs, a senior housing choice that is ideal for one person may not be the best one for you. Your needs will evolve over time, so planning your future housing needs well in advance ensures that you will have the most fulfilling and satisfying home environment even at an advanced age.

While deciding on your senior housing options, you will need to consider your health, lifestyle, and finances as well as the needs that you might have in the future. Most seniors dread the prospect of losing their independence, but what’s important to understand here is that you are not alone in this – most people over the age of 65 will need to consider their senior housing options at some stage.

Assisted Living

Assisted living or residential care is a housing option for seniors who need help with their day-to-day living, and a little help with their medications. Costs at these facilities depend on the level of help you require. The staff in assisted living facilities is available 24 hours a day, so you can call upon them whenever you need to. Assisted living facilities provide rooms or small apartments with a scaled-down kitchen. There is usually a shared dining area and common areas for recreational and social activities shared by all seniors. However, these facilities are not suitable for seniors who require round-the-clock medical attention from a qualified registered nurse.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes offer a much higher level of medical care than other senior housing options. They provide round-the-clock medical attention to seniors and will have a licensed physician supervising their health on a daily basis. There is always a registered nurse or other medical professional on the premises who handles the medications. Nursing homes should be considered by seniors if their medical and personal care needs are too big to be handled at home or even at an assisted living facility.

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities

Naturally occurring retirement communities are based on a village concept, where seniors live in their own homes and can access local health services and volunteer programs, participate in social activities, and so on. Retirement communities generally exist in lower income areas. They don’t offer the same level of personal care as assisted living facilities or nursing homes, and are generally preferred by seniors who cannot afford assisted living.

Memory Care

Memory care is a form of assisted living that caters to seniors with memory-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and so on. They provide a 24-hour supervised care and should be considered if you or your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia. If they are relatively independent, assisted living should be more than enough.

In-Home Care

In-home care involves hiring a healthcare professional or nurse to take care of an older member of the family while they still live at home. The home care professional handles things such as bathing and dressing, handling the medications, helping with getting out of the shower and bed, carrying out errands such as grocery shopping, picking up medical prescriptions, and so on. In-home care requires setting up a hospital-like environment at home and can be quite expensive.

Right Fit Senior Living Solutions is a senior placement company that serves the Beaverton and Portland areas. We help you find the right senior living solution for your needs, such as assisted living, memory care or in-home care.

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