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What is Assisted Living?
As we have aged as a nation, generation after generation has changed the original premise of HOW we age. With each passing decade and advances in health, science and technology, we have fashioned a society that is mobile and independent, creating an opportunity to age with dignity and respect. The growth of Assisted Living is a validation of our desire to hold on to the quality of life we now have for as long as possible.
Assisted living has emerged as a type of housing rather than as an institution. What Assisted Living is NOT is just as important as what Assisted Living IS. Assisted Living is not a nursing home where regulations specify staff levels usually tied into the number of beds served and the location of a “nurse’s station.” The staff in a nursing home is trained and based on a hospital medical model influenced by acute health care settings. Even in the physical layout of the nursing home you will notice the medical/hospital model in the wide width of corridors, double loaded corridor configurations and narrow unit widths, which are most often semi-private in nature.
Assisted living, on the other hand, has grown out of a desire to keep older people independent in a comfortable residential setting for as long as possible. It emulates in character and style that of a large family home or hotel. Within these types of models and design, a feeling can be created of a homelike environment rather than an institutional, hospital-like setting while adhering to safety and security in building codes.
Most states require certain licensing standards be met and kept through routine surveys of the establishment, staff training and other regulatory compliance. Many assisted living residences go beyond the state guidelines in order to be able to insure quality of care and security for its residents. However, Assisted Living facilities cannot deliver acute care such as intense physical and other types of therapies, feeding tubes, ventilators, and other life-sustaining medical procedures that are available only in a nursing home setting. As a general rule, Assisted Living facilities do not have a Medical Director/Physician overseeing the facility.
Choosing an Assisted Living facility is a personal choice. You will have to regard “future” care in respect to how you feel about aging in place. A person’s overall health can change slightly over a period of time, and through small adjustments in medication or therapy, an Assisted Living residence is a wise choice as staff will support a resident through medication management, good nutrition and socialization. However, at times a resident may be in need of more aggressive types of therapy or medications which are better delivered in a nursing home or rehabilitation center. When these situations arise, an Assisted Living facility will often help follow up and coordinate the care of a resident through the process until they are well enough to return. Home Health Agency’s are allowed to follow up and deliver care in an assisted living residence if and when needed.
Assisted Living offers a person the opportunity to be independent and manage on their own at a higher level than if they were at home, alone!
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