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Differences in Facilities

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Independent Living

Indpendent living is for those who no longer wish to have the upkeep and yardwork of their own home, who need transportation services to and from appointments, who would like to have the option of having their meals cooked for them or still be able to cook meals for themselves.  Some facilities offer limited assistance with independent living, but for the most part, the person is independent and capable of living on their own. 

Independent living facilities usually have a lot of activities scheduled, both inside and outside the facility.  Some are free of charge, but  some require the person to bring money such as going to a play, or out to eat.

For individuals or couples who want to be involved in social activities but no longer wish to drive, still want to be independent but don't want the expense or responsibility of their own home or car, this is a good option.

Many facilities that are independent living are not licensed and are merely senior living communities.  They do not provide services such as assistance with medications, or it is limited. 

Memory Care

Memory care is for those individuals who are confused, get lost easily, roam, or can't remember where they are. 

Memory care residents are kept within a locked portion of the facility for their own safety.  Some facilities have an outside area where these residents can go on their own, but it's enclosed so they can't get into traffic or lost.

Most memory care units have a set cost that includes the added services offered in assisted living.  While it's a difficult decision to think of your loved one in a locked unit, it can be more cost effective as well as offer more independence.  My mom was constantly being told to "get back in her room" at the assisted living facility "for her own good".  When we moved her to the memory care unit in a different facility, she was able to walk where and when she wanted, and was never far from someone who could help her back to her room if she got lost.    She actually enjoyed more freedom and felt more independent by being in the memory care unit.

Most memory care facilities are located within an Assisted Living facility so the services offered and allowed fall under the same license as Assisted Living.  The two "biggies" are that the resident must be a one-person transfer and is able to feed themself.  If an individual's condition worsens to the point where they no longer meet one or both of these criteria, they must move to a Skilled Nursing facility. 

Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities can be very confusing.  You must understand exactly what the facility can and cannot provide priior to moving your loved one into a facility.  Usually the facility will send someone to assess an individual first to see if they qualify for assisted living.

Not all facilities that offer assisted living are licensed so that can cause problems as the person's health declines.  If it is a licensed facility, the license usually has specifications on what services it can and cannot provide. 

Assisted Living usually means a one-person transfer.  If your loved one needs more than one person to assist them with moving from one chair to another or with toileting, they do not qualify to live in an assisted living facility. 

Assisted living facilities typcially cannot cover assistance with feeding.  A resident must be able to get to the dining room and be able to feed themselves. 

Most assisted living facilities have several levels of care.  For an extra fee you can add services such as help with dressing, bathing, medications, toileting. 

For a quick assessment of your loved one, go to the "Choosing a Facility" tab and click the "Needs Assessment" button.

Some facilities offer an "escort" service for an extra fee if a person needs help to the dining room. Most assisted living facilities allow families to hire private care nurses to come in and assist residents with feeding and other needs at their own cost.  Many have a list of approved private care companies they allow within their facility. 

Most facilities do a reassessment every few months on their residents.  They keep the family informed as to the current status of the resident's needs, physical condition, and care options. 

Skilled Nursing Care

A skilled nursing facility is for long term care, usually for the remainder of a person't life.  It's a facility that offers full medical and personal care services for residents.  Typically these facilities offer semi-private rooms, although some facilities offer private rooms for an extra charge. 

If an individual requires IV medications, someone to feed them, and more than a one-person assist to transfer from one chair to another or when toileting, normally they must be in a skilled nursing care facility, also called a nursing home.

Even if a person has been in the memory care unit previously, when they become unable to feed themselves and require more than a one person transfer, they are no longer a "wander" risk and are not a danger to themselves or anyone else.  This means they no longer qualify for the memory care unit in most facilities and must  move into the general population of a skilled nursing facility. 

Typically, a skilled nursing facility also has a "rehab" wing for people recovering from an illness or injury.   If a person has been in the hospital due to an illness or injury and is sent to a Skilled Nursing facility, Medicare will pay for the first 100 days.  After that the person is responsible for the cost.

A person can remain in rehab as long as the person is improving.  Once they become stable where no additional improvement is seen, they are released and usually need to move to the long term care part of the facility. 

Skilled Nursing is the most expensive of the different types of care.  It offers the most in medical care services and usually has the least privacy options for the resident.

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