Why,Assisted,Living,For,Elderl family Why Is Assisted Living For Elderly Better Than Living At Hom

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What is Assisted Living?Assisted living is a viable option for giving seniors thequality of life they deserve and it empowers them to live life on their terms.There is no standard definition for Assisted Living centers. At The Continental at St. Joseph's(CSJ), we define Assisted Living, as "independent apartment livingwith some assistance with daily activities." Tara Koestner, Administrator,states, "Assisted Living communities are designed to help disabled orsenior adults bridge the gap between living at home and long term nursingcare." Assisted Living centers do not provide nursing home-type services.Independence and choice are the key operating principles in Assisted Livingcommunities. Just like living at home, tenants are free to come and go as theyplease. They have freedom to decorate and personalize their apartments and theychoose to participate in activities and outings. Assisted Living centers dooffer assistance with household chores, personal care, and professional nursemonitoring. Think of Assisted Living as a place designed for people who areable to care for themselves except for assistance with a few activities of dailyliving. Tenants maintain personal privacy and independence in a setting thatalso offers numerous opportunities to build friendships. New tenants oftencomment, "I should have moved here years ago!"The primary difference between living in an apartment at The Continental at St. Joseph'sAssisted Living community and living at home is peace of mind. Peace comesknowing that help is available 24 hours a day with a simple push of a button.Caring and knowledgeable staff are always there to provide help when needed.Routinely, CSJ staff cooks meals, cleans apartments, does laundry, shops fortenants, transports tenants to medical appointments, and most importantly makessure that tenants take their medications on time. Professional nurses are onstaff to talk to tenants about any health concerns and communicate withdoctors, pharmacists, or therapists to ensure that tenant's health concerns areaddressed. No one can predict what challenges any of us may face in the future.When unpredictable situations arise, tenants do not have to worry. They willnot face these challenges alone. Qualified, caring personnel are moments awayready to help. Comparing the Costs: Living at Home, Assisted Living, or Long Term Care"When comparing the cost of daily assistance for ahealth challenged senior adult, Assisted Living centers compare veryfavorability when it comes to quality, convenience, and affordability."states Tara Koestner, Administrator, The Continental at St Joseph's AssistedLiving Center. Of course, everyone wants to live in their own home as long aspossible. This is understandable and always the ideal situation as long as theaging adult is able to maintain a reasonable quality of life at home. Gradually,over time, subtle signs appear that indicate that aging adult may not be doingas well at home alone as the family would hope. Lora Lyons, HealthcareCoordinator at CSJ recommends that the family look for the following signs ofunsafe behavior: ·        Falling and unable to get up without assistance.·        Missed doses of medications and out of datemedications.·        Gradual loss of weight.·        Lack of personal hygiene.·        Unable to hear the phone or call for help.·        Inability or unwillingness to leave their home.·        Gets lost or looses objects frequently.·        Living space shrinking to a space around thefavorite chair.·        Periodic little driving accidents. All of the above behaviors happen normally with age andindividually do not necessarily indicate unsafe behavior.. However, when anongoing trend starts to appear, it is time for the family to consider makingarrangement to assist this adult. There comes a point in time in this processwhere Assisted Living becomes the most cost effective means of providingquality of life assistance for a loved one.When comparing the cost of Assisted Living and living athome, families need to take into consideration the following costs: ·        Rent, or mortgage, property taxes, andinsurance.·        Utility costs including: gas, electric, water,trash pick-up.·        Home maintenance including; furnace maintenance,lawn care, snow removal, and home repairs. Consider the inconvenience ofarranging maintenance and waiting for repairs.·        Cost of food and/or meal delivery. Consider thequality of nutrition and the lack of enjoyment eating alone. ·        Cost of outside assistance for housekeeping,laundry services, transportation to medical appointments, or home health.·        Cost of technology, such as cable TV, Life Line,and medical monitoring devices.·        Concerns about management of medical issues, forexample; oxygen use and obtaining oxygen supplies, diabetes management andobtaining diabetic supplies, and proper incontinent management. When considering all of the costs associated with living athome, Assisted Living Centers like The Continental at St. Joseph's, become moreaffordable than one might initially think, especially when long term careinsurance could pay most if not all of the costs. If you compare the cost ofliving in an Assisted Living apartment compared to the cost of living in a LongTerm Care facility, Assisted Living Centers costs less.According to Tara Koestner, "Assisted Living Centersare places where senior adults thrive not simply exist." A daily socialinteractions, outings, physical exercise, etc. keep seniors mentally sharp andphysically strong. Monthly tenants can enjoy social activities, like Bingo orWii Bowling, and musical entertainment. At The Continental at St. Joseph's, allof these ammenities are included in the basic rent, in addition to weeklyshopping, transportation to and from local appointments, and threewell-balanced meals each and every day. Most important to families is the peaceof mind that comes with the healthcare monitoring services. of 24 hour securityservices and daily onsite health aide visits which most seniors just don't haveat home. The main thing to remember here is quality of life. Ourloved ones have worked very hard to get to where they are. Don't they deserveevery opportunity to relax and enjoy this phase of their lives? Why not letsomeone else do the things that they don't enjoy so that there is more time forthem to do the things they love. Assisted living is a unique environment whereseniors can do just that.