Assisted Living
What is the difference between assisted living and independent living?
Assisted living, compared to independent living, is just a somewhat higher level of assistance that's available. So, in an assisted living setting you definitely have aides on hand, or staff members on hand, who are available to assist with things, like dressing or bathing, grooming, things of that nature. Not everybody in assisted living may require all of those services, but those services are available.
What services do assisted living facilities provide?
Assisted living settings typically provide help with some of the activities of daily living. Those could be as minor as just meal preparation, essentially, or transportation, ranging all the way up to people who need assistance, even with transfers or getting out of bed. People who require assistance getting from one room to another, bathing, grooming, and things of that nature. In some situations, particularly in some of the dementia units, they can even take care of incontinent patients.
How does an assisted living facility differ from a nursing home?
An assisted living facility compared to a nursing home, is just a lower level of care. They are not a medical facility. For example, if you live in an assisted living facility, you never have to see a doctor. Typically, a doctor also has to sign a form saying that you are okay to move in, but there is no requirement for periodic physician visits. Usually physician visits don't happen onsite, although more and more physicians may be seeing patients in that setting, and certainly the bigger places have a physician on staff that is available. A nursing home is a medical place where they have the ability to provide medical treatments. If you live in an assisted living facility and you require medical treatment, it has to be provided by an outside agency or you have to go offsite to get the medical treatment. Whereas if you reside in a nursing facility, then you can get your medical care onsite. You have to be seen by a physician every 30 days for the first ninety days and at least every sixty days thereafter. Whether you really need it or not, that's just the regulation.
How many US seniors reside in assisted living facilities?
I believe the current numbers are getting close to a million, and those numbers have been growing every year, and those are assisted livings that are actually licensed and recognized as assisted livings. There may be other types of facilities that are similar to that that are operating without a formal license or certification, so it's probably even higher than we estimate.
Is there 24-hour supervision at an assisted living facility?
Do assisted living facilities offer medical care?
Assisted living facilities are just not medical, flat out. Some of them do have the availability of a physician who comes on-site, and may have a little office to see patients there. Residents are also permitted to receive home health services from licensed home health agencies. There are also situations where, if a family member a spouse or somebody can provide some of the assistance like placing bandages or things like that, then that also can be provided in that setting, depending on the state. Some states have very specific requirements as far as prohibited conditions that can not be in an assisted living setting, but in a general statement assisted livings are just not medical. They're strictly to give custodial assistance to their residents.
