Choosing a senior living facility is a huge choice, and there are many factors that you and your loved ones will need to take into consideration before you commit to a care home. You may begin to find that you need more support and care with daily tasks, and this is where senior living communities and care homes come in. They offer a higher level of care than can be offered in the home, often with 24-hour support, specialized facilities, and plenty of activities and social events. If you or your loved ones are considering a care home, here are just two factors to take into account when making your choice.
1. Who are they for?
Care homes and senior living facilities such as signature care homes are for senior individuals who require extra help and support with certain daily tasks. A physician or adult care support worker will be able to assess you based on a range of factors, and this can help decide what kind of care you will require.
These factors include your physical and mental health, as well as ADLS and IADLS. ADLs are the activities of daily living, and are a set of different self-care tasks that the majority of people can perform without support or reminding. They are:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Toileting
- Moving
- Continence
- Dressing
The IADLs are instrumental activities of daily living, and are a set of further tasks that can pick up on disabilities and issues that the ADLs may not. They are:
- Using a telephone
- Managing finances
- Managing medication
- Food preparation
- Housekeeping
- Laundering clothing
- Driving/using public transport
- Shopping
When you have an assessment, the physician will be able to see how many of these tasks you can complete without assistance or prompting, and this—combined with other factors—will give an indication of the type of care home support that is required.
2. What are the different types?
When it comes to the different types of care offered in a community, there are lots of different options. This means you will be able to find somewhere that matches your requirements and needs. Some of the most common types of living and care include:
- Respite Care
This is a great way to test out different facilities to find one that suits you. Respite care is beneficial both for the individual receiving the care, and the at-home caregiver. The individual stays in the community for a short period of time, allowing them to get a feel for the care home, while the caregiver has some individual time to themselves. When thinking about different care homes, it is a good idea to use respite care to explore various options before committing to a single community.
- Assisted Living
In an assisted living community, residents have private rooms and access to the care and support they need, such as medication management and housekeeping. Meals are served in a dining-room facility, and there are lots of activities and lively social events.
- Independent Living
As the name suggests, this is the most independent form of senior community living. Residents live in apartment-style accommodation (some have private kitchens), and are able to live almost as independently as they would outside of the community. The difference is that there is care and support on hand for them when they need it, as well as plenty of engaging social activities and the facilities available in the care home.
- Memory Care
This is a type of senior living community that is specifically for those with memory-related illnesses such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. There is personal and medical support available when the residents need it, as well as a focus on the development and maintenance of the individual’s cognitive functions, dignity, independence, and memory retention.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Health category
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