What
is Assisted Living?
Assisted
Living is an affordable, residential alternative to institutional
nursing home care for seniors.
Assisted living offers personalized assistance, supportive
services and health care
in a professional managed group environment.
The term "assisted living" is defined by the Virginia
Department of Social Services as any group residential program
that is not licensed as a nursing home and that provides
personal care and
supportive services to people who need help with daily living
activities as a result of physical or
cognitive disability.
Assisted living communities go by a variety of names: adult
homes, personal care homes, retirement residences, sheltered
housing. Local jurisdictions vary in their definitions and
requirements. Many assisted living facilities also have
professional nurses and other health care professionals
on staff
or available on call should a resident require special care.
What
about costs?
Costs
for assisted living vary according to care needs and types
of services required by residents.
At our facilities there is no long-term lease or endowment
required. One affordable, monthly fee covers just about
everything. Medications and beauty shop not included.
What
to look for in assisted living community.
In addition
to visiting several communities and talking to residents
and staff, it is important to do a
careful comparison of fees and services. An all-inclusive
fee that seems to be high at first could turn
out to be more advantageous than a fee-for-service arrangement
that combines a low basic rate with
extra charges for the services you need.
Who
lives in assisted living residences?
Assisted
living is appropriate for seniors who can no longer live
on their own at home but who do not need 24-hour skilled
nursing care. Residents may need help with activities of
daily living such as eating, bathing and dressing and with
medication administration or incontinence. They have 24-hour
care by trained staff.
For
more information,
click on one of
the links below:
Guide to Retirement
Living
National
Council on Aging
Administration on Aging
AARP
Senior
Navagator
Click
here for a brochure in PDF
Click
here for free Acrobat Reader® software so you can view
and print Adobe PDF files.
