5 Types Of Senior Care

1. Independent Living

Independent Living is the least amount of care on this list. This typically provides apartments or townhomes designed for seniors who still maintain control over their lives and schedules but prefer to be in a location that can help with the larger tasks like maintaining a property or maybe who don’t feel safe living alone.

Seniors living here are still full of life and usually mobile, tend to drive and are very independent. The facility takes care of mostly everything related to the apartment and property which makes living here a smoother transition for many seniors.

2. In Home Health Care

In home health care is when a caregiver comes to your home. Unlike independent living, this is the first level of care where care is usually needed. There are many different arrangements from the type of caregiver to the amount of time spent on providing personal care.

Aging in place is typically the most desirable and often the first solution since they are already “in place” and bringing someone in to help part time is much easier than leaving the home. Depending on the situation a personal care assistant or PCA may come to the home and work 3 hours making dinner, washing clothes and helping around the house.

She could also be more involved by spending more time at the house, providing companionship or completing a heavier load of tasks. As time passes and/or the person’s condition declines they will need more help. This is known as a higher level of care.

As an example, let’s say a PCA is hired to come to the home 3 days a week for 3 hours. But then the senior has a couple falls and it becomes obvious he will need more help. Instead of paying for 9 hours a week at $20 per hour, now you are paying for 21 hours per week since help is needed daily.

That’s a significant difference and this doesn’t include hiring a trained CNA, LPN or RN who command 2-3X more per hour.

In situations where around the clock care is necessary this can amount to $200,000 per year not including supplies, materials, transportation, hospital and doctor visits etc.

As you can imagine this tends to add up quickly. Too quickly. Which brings us to the next higher level of care, assisted living.

3. Assisted Living

Assisted living picks up where In Home Care leaves off. While we still help with ADLs, we offer more than 1 person could provide in a part time role.

For starters, staff is onsite 24 hours per day 7 days a week. In many of the larger facilities the staff to resident ratio is 10:1 or even 20:1 which doesn’t allow for specialized attention and urgency when the resident may need something or someone.

Here at Avendelle at Lazy River we are different. We are a special niche within assisted living. We are a Family Care Home which means the residents live in an actual house that looks and feels like a home. This home like setting is heavily regulated like assisted living facilities but much more appealing especially for people who don’t want the cold commercial feel of a larger facility.

We have a high staff to resident ratio of 3:1, all inclusive pricing and an all around better experience for everyone involved.

In addition to helping with ADLs like eating, dressing, toileting we offer medication management and administration. Plus, 3 meals per day, snacks, activities, housekeeping and laundry services, cable TV and more.

Avendelle at Lazy River is licensed for 6 beds. We have 5 private rooms and 1 semi private available.

While my staff are Certified Nursing Assistants or CNAs they cannot perform some tasks that an RN would do. That is when we call one of our RNs that work with us in the past to provide specialized skilled tasks.

Along the same lines, we are able to arrange for hairdressers, barbers, podiatrists, hospice, physical, occupational and speech therapy.

It truly is the best of both worlds.

4. Adult Day Care

Adult day care is just as it sounds. Seniors gather at a daycare center for meals, activities, socialization and more. Staff is on hand to help manage seniors’ medications and other daily needs but they go home at the end of the day.

This is a great option for families juggling work, kids, errands and caring for their older parent as it provides a respite during the busier hours.

5. Nursing Home

Nursing Homes are sometime called Rehab Facilities and they are for the seniors who require the most attention and care. This is the level of care known as “skilled”. There is a nurse on staff and the patients tend to be recovering from a fall, surgery or major illness.

While some patients are able to come out of nursing home care to a lower level, sadly for many this is their last stop.

This option is for you if you are routinely hospitalized, your condition is declining or any of the previous options are not available to you.

After reading this article I hope you have a better understanding of your needs and which type of facility might be best for you. If you feel a Family Care Home like Avendelle at Lazy River is a good fit please call to set up a tour today.

Ask for Mary Beth 919-917-7992.