Guide to Senior Housing Search
With the aging population in America, an increasing number of individuals are faced with the great responsibility of caring for an elderly family member. The growing incidence of dementia in people 65 years and over has made caregiving very challenging for families or responsible parties. It is not the forgetting that triggers the consideration to move a loved one to a residential care home or assisted living facility but the difficult behavior problem that comes with the dementing condition. Most often, families will keep their seniors at home for as long as possible. Some people quit their jobs to care for a loved one while others hire caregivers privately or through a home care agency. It usually takes a major crisis to happen before the decision to finally move is made.
When planning for placement into a senior residential/assisted care facility, the following steps should make the search process and transition less frustrating and stressful for you.
Plan Ahead
When caring for a senior family member, it is important that we remind ourselves that aging is a process of decline in health and often times, mental capacity. Most of us will be needing assistance in our old age. Caring for an elderly loved one can be very overwhelming. It becomes even more excruciating when we are faced with a crisis and the need to move becomes the only alternative available... and we are given 24 hours to find that place. To avoid this nightmare, it is highly advisable that you learn about all the available senior care resources in the community before disaster strikes.
SeniorRealm.com provides you with the tool to help you find senior housing and services where you choose.
Arrange for a Family Conference
The initial step when deciding to move is to get the a senior loved one and all key members of the family to agree that there is a need to change living arrangements. It is not uncommon for the senior to refuse or disagree with the placement. It is recommended to seek professional help from a doctor, geriatric case manager, social worker, hospital discharge planner or spiritual counselor when there is conflict among the family members, including the senior. Sometimes when there is an issue of lack of capacity or competency because of the cognitive impairment, legal measure might have to be used to make moving possible. Some caregiver organizations (go to our Resources page for listings), health management organizations (HMO) and other senior advocates group have trained professionals to assist you with family meetings.
Assess Care and Level of Assistance Needed
Most seniors live alone independently. It is not uncommon for children of aging parents to learn of their disabilities until it becomes very apparent. It is important to spend time with your loved one to get a good insight of what level of assistance is needed. - How much can she/he do for her/himself?
- Is she/he sociable or a loner?
- Would a small residential care facility be a better choice or a large assisted living facility?
- Can she walk independently or need assistance of another person, aid of cane, walker or wheelchair?
Obtain Support for yourself
Family caregivers often have guilty feelings about moving a loved one in a residential care/assisted living facility. If you feel a sense of guilt, it might be very beneficial to seek the help of a professional like a counselor, social worker or a geriatric case manager. A support group can also be helpful in dealing with these feelings. Bear in mind that most often placing a loved one in a "care home" or facility is the best choice not only for his/her health and safety but also for your own well-being and peace of mind.
Keep Your Search Simple
The good news is there are many senior resources in the community. In the past, the only housing option for the frail and medically-complex senior is the dreaded nursing home. The birth of the assisted living/residential care industry brought more and better senior housing alternatives. To avoid further frustration and being overwhelmed, we suggest that you keep your search simple by choosing not more than 3 facilities to visit at a time. A list of these facilities can be obtained from the social worker, hospital discharge planner, geriatric case manager or a referral agency.
SeniorRealm.com makes your search easier than ever by providing you with facility details, photos and virtual tours (when available) before you hit the road to visit these facilities.
| FACILITY TYPE | NUMBER OF
RESIDENTS | LEVEL OF
CARE | Caregiver : Resident
RATIO | COST
(depends on level of care) | | Residential Care Facility | Usually six (6) | Independent to Maximum assist Hospice Care | 1: 2-3 | Semi-private
$2500 up/month
Private
$3500 up/month | | Assisted Living Facility | Varies, usually
20 to over 100 | Independent to
certain level of Assistance | 1: 5-10 | Starting from $3200/month plus
community fees,care fees and
others | | Retirement Community | Varies, usually
over 40 | Independent No assistance | N/A | Starting from $2,200/month | | Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) | Usually over
100 | Independent to Nursing Care
(maximumassist) | N/A | Up to $4,000/month
Entrance fee up to
$450,000+ | | Skilled Nursing Facility | Usually over
50 | Nursing Care | N/A | $8,400/ month ($ 280/day) |
TYPES OF SENIOR HOUSING
Assisted Living Facility (ALF) /Residential Care Facility (RCFE)
These facilities are ideal for seniors who are not able to live alone but do not have the need for nursing care. They provide assistance with activities of daily living like bathing, grooming,toileting, eating, walking and medication management. The term "assisted living" varies from state to state since each state has its own licensing requirements and regulations. In California, large
Alzheimer's Care Facility
These are also assisted living facilities that specialize in the care of residents with cognitive impairments. Some are free-standing Alzheimer's facility but most of them are lock-down units located in large assisted living facilities. Residential care facilities or care homes are also licensed by the Department of Social Services to provide services to the memory impaired residents. A study by the University of California San Diego (http://aja.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/1/15) states that small residential care homes can be ideal
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)
These communities provide a wide range of services for seniors, from independent level to skilled nursing care level. These full service facilities also offer medical services on-site. The cost of living in these communities is usually very expensive, and residents must usually sign a contract for more than one year - ;sometimes for life - and pay an entrance fee before being admitted. Entry fees may range from a low of about $35,000 for a studio apartment for one individual to $450,000 or more for a two-bedroom home for a couple. In addition, residents must either transfer their assets to the facility or pay a large monthly fee. Admission requirements to these facilities include an age limit and an independent, healthy and active state. With an understanding that when the residents need services such as nursing care in the future, the Community is prepared and set up to provide it.
Retirement Communities
These communities are for seniors who are still independent, healthy and active. The homes may be apartments, cottages, townhouses, duplexes, cluster homes or single-family homes. Some independent living communities also include subsidized housing that offers rental assistance from the federal government.
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Nursing homes are not ideal for long-term custodial care for seniors. With the availability of better senior housing alternatives, these facilities should only be used by older adults needing continuous skilled nursing care or other rehabilitative services. The out-of-pocket cost of staying in these facilities is significantly substantial. Unless medically necessary, this kind of long-term living arrangement should be avoided.
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