Assisted Living Scope Of Care
Assisted living facilities in Kansas are required to provide a range of care and services that are specified in the residents service plans at the time of admission. The services usually include daily meals, health care services, housekeeping services, transportation, group and individual activities, and other health and safety support.
Assisted Living Vs Home Care
Home care offers care for seniors who wish to age in place, and provides support and respite for caregivers. Home care aides are trained in senior care and can provide companionship, help with ADLs, light housekeeping, cooking, transportation, and more.
However, home care differs from assisted living when it comes to socialization, intellectual stimulation, and cost.
- Socialization. While home care offers one-on-one care tailored to individual needs, seniors in assisted living enjoy a variety of social programs and outings in a community of peers.
- Intellectual stimulation. Assisted living facilities offer classes and continuing learning opportunities for seniors that home care cant provide, including art and craft studios, cooking workshops, brain games, and more.
- Cost. The level of care provided by home care aides is based on needs, and costs are calculated by the type of care provided. Home care fees are charged by the hour. This means that home care may be an expensive alternative to assisted living, depending on how much care is needed.
Caring for an aging loved one at home may also require modifications to make their home safe and accessible. These could include simple additions such as grab bars, to more costly and difficult updates, including ramps, wider doorways, chair lifts, walk-in showers, and elevators.
Difference Between The Levels Of Care Provided
Nursing homes are known for providing 24-hour assistance for elderly patients who may require immediate medical attention at any time. Residents often live with age-related ailments such as dementia or osteoporosis, which makes it especially difficult for them to function on their own.
Medical assistance is provided for people living in nursing homes. This often includes skilled nursing care, breathing assistance, toileting, full-time monitoring, and emergency services.
On the other hand, assisted living is often provided for older people who may not have a serious illness that affects their quality of life. However, they still need some level of care to help them remain as independent as possible. Or they may want to spend less time cooking and cleaning, and enjoy their life without doing these daily tasks.
Assisted living facilities are less focused on nursing and health care, and more on supporting residents to maintain a safe environment with a high degree of autonomy.
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Benefits Of Assisted Living
There are more benefits to assisted living than simply getting a helping hand. It can actually make the quality of life significantly better for the person needing assistance, and can make life easier for the main caregiver .
The 2019 Quality of Life in Assisted Living Survey found some encouraging news. When seniors moved into assisted living, 87% of residents and 78% of family members reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience in the community.
How do you know it may be time for your loved one to make the move to assisted living? Think back over the last year or so, and see if you can recall any of these issues, which can be criteria for assisted living:
- Theyve experienced at least one fall, with or without injury.
- Meal preparation is becoming more difficult.
- Youve noticed signs of hunger or that nutritional needs arent being met.
- Its getting harder for them to safely maneuver around the house.
- More help is needed getting dressed, bathing, managing medication or with other activities of daily living.
- You have worries about isolation and/or their safety.
If any of these have occurred, it may be worth your time to explore assisted living options.
Making The Decision To Leave Home: What You May Be Feeling
No matter your situation, moving is always stressful. But when youre contemplating leaving your home for an assisted living facility, stress is just the tip of the emotional iceberg. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one, but grief is a natural response to any loss. And the loss of your home, neighborhood, and community is a big one.
The thought of leaving everything you know can make you feel very vulnerable. You may feel like youre losing your independence or a big part of your identity. Its important to realize that all of these feelings are normal. Take some time to acknowledge these feelings of loss. Sometimes talking to someone who is sympathetic can help. Counseling and therapy can be an option too. Give yourself time to grieve and get used to the change.
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Home Care Helping Seniors Age In Place
You create a life for yourself in your home, so you probably want to stay there. Most seniors do and so do their loved ones. You want to keep your own routine and sleep in your own bed. In-home assisted living allows for just that. You stay at home and the professionals come to you. How long they stay and how they help depends on your specific needs. Theyll assist with activities of daily living . Typical services include hygiene assistance, meal prep, medication reminders, companionship, transportation, emergency call systems, and more.
In-home care widely varies. One person, and sometimes several, comes regularly. The options usually fall into four categories:
- Licensed medical professional care
- Dementia home care
- Alzheimers home care
If you require medical attention like shots or therapy, youll need a licensed medical professional. These professionals include physicians, physicians assistants, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and home health aides under the direction of a physician.
Need help with ADLs? Turn to non-medical paraprofessionals. They help with cooking, shopping, bathing, laundry, and companionship. The choices include personal care attendants, homemakers, companions, and home health aides. Family members, you may be able to help with this too.
Downsizing Before Moving To Assisted Living
Helping your senior loved one downsize before moving to an assisted living facility can be an emotional task. Belongings may be filled with treasured memories that you and your parent dont want to let go of.
But before deciding what to take or what to leave behind, its important to understand the space your loved one will have after they move. It can be helpful to ask for a floor plan and dimensions of the assisted living apartment before moving day.
Assisted living accommodations often come furnished, but many communities allow residents to bring personal items. Bringing a few cherished pieces may make your loved ones new space feel more like home. Its also a good idea to ask what appliances are provided. For example, you might want to ask if apartments are equipped with a mini-fridge, coffee maker, or microwave.
When packing, consider bringing the following:
- Personal items, like medication, toiletries, clothing, photos and keepsakes, jewelry, and eyeglasses
- Entertainment items, like books, movies, hobby supplies, computer, or iPads
- Houseware, like hangers, towels, bedding, and a small selection of plates, cups, and cookware
- , like plants, pictures, and mirror
- Furniture pieces, like a favorite recliner, desk, or dresser
- Cleaning supplies, like dish soap, paper towels, and surface wipes
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Care Options For Seniors And People With Disabilities
There are three levels of assisted living: assisted living communities, independent living communities, and home care. Home care brings assistance with daily living to the home, independent living offers a community with convenient amenities, and assisted living combines a community that offers convenient amenities with support for daily living tasks.
Assisted Living
Assisted living is a residential community for people who need help with everyday activities, such as bathing and dressing. Since residents usually live in their own private or semi-private apartments, these communities are able to offer a supportive atmosphere that is still independent. Residents can typically tailor the support services to match their needs, so they can perform more of less of their own daily tasks according to their current abilities.
Who its for: Assisted living communities are a good choice for seniors and people with physical disabilities who need help with tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating, taking medications, and using the restroom.
What it costs: According to theGenworth 2017 Cost of Care Survey, you can expect assisted living to cost about $3,750 per month.
Independent Living
Independent living offers a home or apartment in a community designed for seniors and people with disabilities. Residents live in private apartments or homes with access to common areas. It offers convenience and a low-maintenance lifestyle, but does not have the same level of support as assisted living.
Safety And Peace Of Mind
Safety is often a concern for families of aging adults who live on their own. Seniors in assisted living can expect a safe environment with controlled access and security protocols.
Assisted living facilities have staff available 24 hours a day in case residents need help. Communities may have alert systems that allow residents to quickly get emergency help with a push of a button. Security systems may include cameras in common areas or motion sensors in private apartments to detect falls, a major health risk for elderly adults.
Nearly three million older adults go to the emergency room each year because of fall injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Falls may lead to serious head or hip injuries. In fact, 95% of hip fractures result from a fall, according to the CDC.
Assisted living facilities assess seniors for fall risks before they move in and continue to evaluate residents periodically and as their health conditions change. Once staff understand a residents risk, they take steps to help keep seniors safe.
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Step : Get Business Insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your companyâs financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If youâre unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so itâs a great place to start for your business.
Learn more about General Liability Insurance.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workersâ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, itâs a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
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Is There A Need
Just because you can convert your home into an assisted living home doesnt mean you should. Many have spent thousands of dollars, sometimes their life savings to start an assisted living home while many others are already in their market that are half full. A half full assisted living home normally wont make you money, it will cost you money sometimes a lot of it.
Confirm demand in your market by visiting other facilities, talking with local referral sources, and even obtaining a market feasibility study from a qualified consultant.
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Assisted Living Strategies For Interior To Exterior
Residential Assisted Living Academy introduces owners and operators to an advanced perspective of senior living, from the interior to the exterior.
For example, location is also Key.
Living nearby different activities such as Libraries, grocery stores, shopping centers, movie theaters, those kinds of things are important, even more so for independent living.
For either model, the exterior of the home is essential.
Its important for residents to be able to easily pull up in a car and get out at the front door. Therefore, circular driveways are great.
Parking should also be considered. Seniors in independent living will need somewhere to park their vehicles, assisted living residents typically do not have cars.
What a home looks like to people pulling up or passing by will determine the success of your business curb appeal is always a plus.
Providing the exterior maintenance and landscaping is a big part of word of mouth marketing.
Let us help make this transition a reality for you.
Instead of renting or selling, get excited about the low risk transformation of your house into senior housing.
Whether it be golden girls and golden boys concept, or residential assisted living, we can help you maintain and maximize your ownership by transforming your home into senior living.
Paying For Assisted Living
Assisted living can be expensive: Insurance company Genworth, which tracks long-term care costs, reports a median monthly rent of $4,300 for assisted living units. Most people pay some or all of that cost out of pocket.
In weighing this housing option, consider carefully whether you and your loved one can afford it long term. A facilitys rates likely will rise over time , and changes in your loved ones condition might require care and services that cost extra.
Some financing options to keep in mind:
Long-term care insurance. If you have a policy, it probably covers assisted living, but Medicare and most private health insurance plans do not.
Medicaid. The federal/state health care program for people with low incomes and limited assets, may provide some help if youve exhausted other financial resources.
Most states offer some level of financial aid to qualified assisted living residents. Contact your states Medicaid agency or Area Agency on Aging to learn more.
The Department of Veterans Affairs . Former service members may be able to get federal help. The Aid and Attendance benefit, a supplement to VA pensions for older veterans who need help with daily living activities, can help pay for assisted living.
VA health care does not pay for room and board at an assisted living facility but might cover some additional services. Contact the VA pension management center that serves your state or your regional VA office for details.
Comparing the cost
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Is There A Cost For Assisted Living Services
If you receive publicly subsidized assisted living services, you will pay a monthly rate based on your income , subject to a minimum and maximum monthly rate. Your monthly rate is calculated by multiplying your after tax income by 70 per cent. For more information, please see:
For 2021, the minimum monthly rate for a single client receiving assisted living services is $1,060.30 per month.
If you and your spouse are living together in an assisted living unit, your monthly client rate will be calculated based on the income of both you and your spouse, subject to a minimum and maximum monthly rate. Your monthly rate will be recalculated if your living situation changes for any reason and you are no longer living with your spouse. For 2021, the minimum monthly rate for a couple living together in an assisted living unit is $1,615.00 per month per couple.
The maximum monthly rate for publicly subsidized assisted living services is based on the market rent for housing and hospitality services for the geographic area where you live, as well as the actual cost of personal care services you receive. For more information on the maximum monthly rate, please contact your health authority.
For more general information on the costs of publicly subsidized home and community care services in B.C., please see:
What Are Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Continuing care retirement communities , also called life care communities, offer different levels of service in one location. Many of them offer independent housing , assisted living, and skilled nursing care all on one campus. Healthcare services and recreation programs are also provided.
In a CCRC, where you live depends on the level of service you need. People who can no longer live independently move to the assisted living facility or sometimes receive home care in their independent living unit. If necessary, they can enter the CCRC’s nursing home.
There are many sources of information about facility-based long-term care. A good place to start is the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or . You can also call your local Area Agency on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Center, department of human services or aging, or a social service agency.
For information on covering the costs of long-term care, read about paying for care.
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Independent Living Communities In Toronto
Independent living retirement communities are the perfect senior housing option for aged individuals who are active, self-sufficient, and autonomous, as this type of senior housing facility allows its residents to look after most of their own needs and wants. There are several different types of independent living homes, the common ones include condos, suites, and apartments in towers. Other independent living residences are in the form of subdivision complexes, senior apartments in a single building, townhouses, bungalow-style single residences, and cluster housing.
Independent living facilities in Toronto offer seniors with a care-free and stress-free lifestyle. This place is ideal for those who want to live in a senior community whose residents are the same age and with similar interests as theirs. This type of senior community offers recreational programs and provides services that make life for seniors more convenient, such as meals, mail service, personal laundry, and scheduled transportation.
Most independent living senior homes are rental units, but there are those which may be purchased. The costs of living in independent living communities varies depending on a number of factors, such as the types of amenities and services availed and the location of the senior facility.