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Assisted Living Another option for living as you age by CEO Deanne Martin-Soares. Jun 02, 2009 Fortunately there are other available options should staying in the home not be a viable option. One such option is an Assisted Living Center ("ALF"), which typically provides an apartment-like room, meals and 24-hour supervision to seniors or frail individuals. ALF's are generally for those who are too ill or frail to be at home, but not impaired enough to need the services of a nursing home or hospital. A point to recognize is that ALF's do not provide skilled health care services to their residents. The care and services provided are assistance and supervision to individuals who are trying to maintain a level of independence.
While some facilities provide minimal services, most ALF's provide a program of activities designed to intellectually and physically stimulate the residents. Nursing aides, activities professionals, nutritionists and other health care workers provide services. In most states, licensed nurses and other independently licensed staff are not present and do not provide services although some residents may contract privately for limited nursing services.
Some ALFs specialize in caring for frail or aged individuals with specific needs. A typical specialized service is caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Facilities of this type typically cost more than a generic ALF since additional supervision and protective measures are required to care for these individuals. Often these specialized facilities will be offered in conjunction with or on the same campus as a generic ALF.
According to the AARP, the typical resident of an assisted living facility is an 83-year old woman. She has been admitted to the facility from her home environment and is expected to remain in the facility for 26 months at which time she will move to a nursing home.
Some ALF's charge an all-inclusive fee, others have a base fee with additional services that may be chosen on an a la carte basis and costs of assisted living services vary greatly. Some facilities are geared for lower income individuals and others cater to the wealthy. The average cost is approximately $2,800 per month. Long-term care insurance sometimes covers assisted living as a benefit. Some states provide coverage through the SSI benefits. (California does not allow SSI benefits to cover ALF costs). Currently the majority of payments come privately through family and an individual's savings.
There are no national standards or policy-making organizations, which survey facilities for quality issues. State regulations usually dictate minimum standards and licensure, if any. In California, ALF's are regulated by the Department of Social Services (as opposed to the Department of Health and Human Services which regulates nursing homes and hospitals).
When an individual becomes too ill or too frail to live independently in an ALF, arrangements need to be made to move to another facility. (Statistics show that 25% of the individuals admitted to an ALF will expire there). Typically individuals who are unable to stay in an ALF go to a nursing home. Occasionally individuals will move between a hospital setting, a nursing home setting and an ALF as they experience periodic episodes of illness and recovery.
Should you be in need of an ALF either for yourself or your loved one, it is important to choose one that is right for the individual. I would encourage you to visit as many as possible at all different times of the day to get a clear picture as to how they are operated. Make sure the ALF is one that best fits the personality and needs of the individual so that they will continue to enjoy their aging years. |
