Guide to Senior Housing
The Variety of Senior Living Options Available Today
As an older adult plans for the future, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or confused about the wide variety of senior living options you need to consider. Whether you’re looking for an active, independent lifestyle with a variety of exciting social opportunities, or need some assistance with healthcare tasks like medication management, it’s important to assess your individual situation. This way, you can ensure you choose an environment where you’ll continue to thrive.
Finding the Right Senior Housing for Your Needs
Senior living options are categorized by the level of care available to residents within the community. Or, some retirement homes provide a continuum of care, where, for instance, residents can easily transition from an independent living apartment to a higher level of care, like assisted living or skilled nursing as it may become necessary. These types of communities are known as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), or life plan communities, as they provide a comprehensive plan for your future.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common senior housing options:
Independent Living for Seniors
When seniors are still active and independent, they may not initially recognize that downsizing their homes and moving to a retirement community is a great opportunity. However, independent living options include spacious homes, cottages or apartments where you’ll continue to enjoy the same lifestyle you do now. The difference is that you’ll have access to a variety of services and amenities designed for a worry-free lifestyle, like exterior and interior home maintenance, daily meals, planned social activities, scheduled transportation to off-campus events, and the benefit of knowing that should a medical emergency arise, help is available immediately.
Assisted Living Apartments
As people age, it’s not uncommon to experience a variety of chronic conditions that can make activities of daily living difficult. For instance, the daily pain associated with arthritis or osteoporosis causes mobility issues that makes simply getting in and out bed, getting dressed, bathing and eating troublesome. These issues in turn lead to health concerns or social isolation. In an assisted living apartment, residents are encouraged to live as independently as possible while receiving the level of care needed to improve their quality of life.
Memory Care Communities
Many senior living communities offering assisted living services include a specialized neighborhood or wing for the memory impaired. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are progressive diseases, meaning over time, symptoms will worsen and the individual will require a higher level of care. Memory care communities provide long-term care in a secure environment, with special programming catered to those needing memory support.
Long-Term/Skilled Nursing Care
When seniors are affected by injuries, chronic illnesses or disabilities, 24-hour care is often needed to help them recover or manage their conditions. In a skilled nursing home, residents receive around-the-clock medical attention from a professional team consisting of physicians, registered nurses, physical, occupational and speech therapists, and more. The length of their stay can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the extent of the illness or injury. The goal of a skilled nursing center is to restore functionality and the highest level of independence possible.
A Continuum of Care at Concordia Life Care Community
Concordia Life Plan Community offers a variety of senior living options and healthcare services, all conveniently located on one campus. Find out more about the advantages of living in a continuing care retirement community by downloading our helpful guide today.
If you’d like to learn more about Concordia, contact us to schedule a visit to see all our beautiful community has to offer.
