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Rented apartment / large room with assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Assisted Living Facilities services can vary significantly and it is important to ask in-depth questions regarding levels of care.
Levels of Care: Levels of care refers to the amount of assistance a resident needs in order to have daily needs met. Typically there is a fee associated with each level of care with higher levels of care costing more. For example, someone requiring only medication to be administered and showering may have a cheaper plan than someone who needs assistance dressing and going to the bathroom.
Table of Contents
Ideal Residents
- Open to receiving assistance from caregivers
- Able to tolerate some decreased privacy relative to the privacy of someone’s own home
- Social and enjoys a sense of community
- Able to be alone at times and remember how to use the call system to request assistance from staff
Residents that should consider a different level or type of care
- Significant memory impairments that result in high risk of wandering, becoming lost, disturbing other residents, being a danger to the self or not recalling how to use the call system for help
- Significant mobility impairments that require special equipment *Note: This varies by facility and this must be a discussion with management / ALF director
- Complex medical needs requiring 24/7 nursing and medical services
- Someone who does not need much assistance and wants to stay in their own home or prefers more privacy
Pros
- Access to caregiver staff 24/7 *Note: may vary by facility, ask about staff to resident ratio
- Some medical and nursing services * Note: most do not provide 24/7 access to a nurse
- Better accessibility
- Additional emergency response systems, such as an emergency pull cord to alert staff
- Sense of community
Cons
- Expensive compared to other options and fees may go up yearly
- Extra fees for higher levels of care
- Some services may be excluded or limited such as: limited access to nursing services, nursing does not cover wound management, neurological checks, blood glucose monitoring, etc. It is extremely important to ask about what nursing and medical attention is available and when (may only be limited weekday hours).
Related Posts:
Is an Independent Living Facility the Right Fit for Me or my Aging Parent
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Questions to ask a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC)
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