Familiarity with the levels of care available in senior housing can help you plan for your own future or better care for a loved one.
There is no “magic time” for planning this phase in one’s life, says Bonnie Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging. Instead, it’s smart to integrate options for senior living into a life plan.
Greater flexibility exists for the types of care one can receive in the home and community, Burman says.
“The first step is changing our perspective,” she says.
In many cases, assessments are available through public programs that can help identify the amount of care an individual needs to maintain his or her quality of life, says Patty Callahan, a caregiver advocate with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging.
The first category of care includes absolute necessities: daily activities such as feeding, bathing, using the bathroom, dressing and getting out of bed or chairs. The second category includes supporting items, such as performing housework, managing money, shopping for groceries and using a telephone.
Independent Living
Individuals who choose this option can maintain their residences and their own needs with little or no assistance, Callahan says.
An independent living option could be a home, rented space, or group arrangement. In all cases, a person’s needs can be met as he or she changes over time. Assistance such as cleaning, personal care, grocery shopping, laundry, transportation and delivered meals could be brought in through home- and community-based services.
Assisted Living
This sort of housing is typically a “middle ground” between nursing homes and independent living, Callahan says.
Assisted living includes on-site services and is generally appropriate for people who may not be able to live independently, but don’t require medical care throughout the day. This type of living affords more privacy than nursing homes. Meals are provided, along with housekeeping and laundry.
Nursing Homes
At this level of care, individuals require help with daily activities and need supervised physician’s care on a monthly basis, Callahan says.
Individuals receive closer medical monitoring here than at an assisted living facility.
Instead of thinking about independence and dependence, it is helpful to thinking of aging in terms of interdependence, Burman says.
“You can continue to contribute to a community while others actually contribute to your life as well,” she says.
Sarah Sole is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
