What is assisted living?
Assisted living is a type of housing for people who need various levels of
medical and personal care. Living spaces can be individual rooms, apartments, or shared
quarters. The facilities generally provide a home-like setting and are physically designed
to promote the resident's independence. Services are offered to assist residents with
daily living.
What services do assisted-living communities provide?
The services offered by assisted-living communities vary from facility to
facility. Services often include:
- One to three meals a day
- Monitoring of medicines
- Personal care, including dressing and bathing
- Housekeeping and laundry
- 24-hour emergency care
- Some medical services
- Social and recreational activities
How can I know what services I need?
Talk with your family and caregivers about what services are needed. Take time
to consider what services are important to you before you visit assisted-living
communities. This step will help ease your transition. Think about these questions:
- Why do I want to change my residence?
- With which daily activities do I need help (bathing, dressing, toileting, eating)?
- How often do I need help?
What should I look for in an assisted-living community?
The following checklist will help you and your family evaluate assisted-living
facilities. Review the checklist before your visit to the facility
and take it with you.
General
- Does the residence meet local and/or state licensing requirements?
- What is the policy on insurance and personal property?
- What is the procedure for responding to a medical emergency?
- Are visitors welcome at any time?
Needs assessment
- Is there a written plan for the care of each resident?
- What is the procedure for assessing a potential resident's need for service? Are those
needs reassessed periodically?
- Can a resident be discharged for refusing to comply with a care plan?
Contracts, costs and finances
- Is a contract agreement available to include accommodations, personal care, health care,
and support services?
- When might a contract be terminated and what is the refund policy?
- Are additional services available if the resident's needs change?
- How do you pay for additional services that are needed on a temporary basis (such as
nursing care)?
- Are there different costs for various levels or categories of services?
- Are there any government, private, or corporate programs available to help cover the cost
of services to the resident?
- What are the billing, payment, and credit policies?
- May a resident handle his or her own finances with staff assistance (if able), or should
a family member or outside party be designated to do so?