by Brenda Segna

Created on: March 20, 2008   Last Updated: March 21, 2008

What is assisted living? They are facilities that provide care for the elderly who need some assistance, but don't require a stay in a nursing home. Assisted living facilities allow its residents independence while providing peace of mind to the resident and their loved ones. These facilities offer help with laundry, housekeeping, help with administering medications and assistance with a few other basic tasks.

When a person applies and is accepted into an assisted living facility, the organization will create a plan for the individual needs of the applicant. This is a detailed outline of the services requested by the applicant that will be guaranteed by the facility. This plan can be updated as needed to assure that the resident receives the care that they need as his or her requirements change.

Depending on where you live, an assisted living facility may have a different name such as:

Residential care Facility
Adult Foster Care Facility
Personal Care Facility
Community Retirement Facility
Assisted Living Homes
Retirement residences
Senior Apartments
Continuing Care Retirement Community

Nursing homes are for people who cannot care for themselves and/or have a multitude of health care requirements. While assisted living facilities provide the elderly who live there with minimal assistance because they are capable of taking care of themselves. If you or your loved one need help preparing meals, bathing, dressing, performing household chores, or are sometimes confused then this is an option for you.

Continuing Care Retirement Community

If an assisted living facility is connected to a nursing home, this combination is considered a continuing care retirement community. This allows the resident of the assisted living facility the opportunity to take advantage of the services offered at the nursing home as well as the ease of transferring to the nursing home should the time come, without the resident having to relocate or adapt to a totally new environment.

Independent Living in Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living facilities are also open to people who are able to live independently but simply no longer wish to maintain a home. Some people prefer to live in a community with others the same age and with similar likes and dislikes. An assisted living facility provides an enormous amount of social activities and trips.

Some requirements for Independent Living:

The person must be healthy and able to take care of themselves
They must have a desire to live independently
They must no longer want to maintain a home
The person must be able to communicate with doctors and caregivers by themselves

And who wouldn't want to live where you have your meals prepared for you and the option of having someone to come in and clean your apartment while you go play golf or dance or play cards or just hang out with your friends? That's what retirement is all about so go enjoy an assisted living facility in your neighborhood.

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