Many people would be surprised to learn that about two-thirds of assisted living residents have Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. As baby boomers age in growing numbers, more and more are looking for alternatives to nursing homes, and assisted living facilities have been adapting to meet the growing demand. These four pieces examine assisted living in several aspects, including a general introduction, how to choose one, how it's likely to be different from a nursing home, and how to pay for it.
1. Introduction to Assisted Living
The term "assisted living" refers to residential care that contains a combination of housing and personal care. The philosophy of assisted living is providing residents with different levels of choice and independence, ideally in a homelike environment that minimizes the need to move when needs for services increase. With more than 36,000 licensed assisted living facilities (ALFs) in the United States, they're playing more and more of an important role in the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease and their families.
2. Differences Between Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
The assisted living facility of today is much more like the nursing home of the recent past: more and more residents with physical, psychiatric, and cognitive problems are being accepted. This piece addresses the major differences between the two settings, including how care and medications are administered, who regulates them, and how they differ in their dementia populations.
3. Choosing an Assisted Living Facility
Choosing an assisted living facility for yourself or your loved one with dementia shouldn't be simply a matter of finding the facility that's closest to you or the one that's the least expensive. This article describes the key factors that will help you decide which facility may be the best fit, and provides you with five key questions to ask in your search.
4. Paying for an Assisted Living Facility
Don't be intimidated by the daunting task of figuring out how you're going to pay for your chosen assisted living facility. Key issues are presented, including how government programs and long-term care insurance play a role in financing assisted living costs. The piece concludes with five key questions to ask about paying for an assisted living facility.
