One of the first items to understand is “what is assisted living?”
An assisted living facility, (ALF) also called an assisted living program, (ALP) is a residential setting that allows for its residents to receive a level of care that they might not have at home. These services can include home health aides to assist with activities of daily living (ADL’s), nursing, recreation, medication management, physical and occupational therapy. These facilities will also provide daily, nutritional meals and snacks. The ALP multi-disciplinary team will work together to create a care plan for each resident to ensure their health, safety and comfort. Depending on the type of facility, residents may have their own room or have a shared room with anywhere from two to four people per room. As an item of note, which we will discuss in greater detail at a later time, there is a significant spectrum of cost depending on what type of facility it is. More often than not, the single room facility will be a higher price and usually paid for privately whereas the shared room facility can be covered by Medicaid and public assistance, such as SSI, SSA, SSP and HRA. Almost all facilities will accept private pay clients.
Another way to look at an assisted living facility is to view it as different levels of care required by the resident. First is an individual living at home independently, requiring little to no care from outsiders. The next level would be an individual living at home but requires some assistance. This individual could benefit from a home health aide, either from a home care agency or through CDPAP. (More to come on this at a later date.) The next level would be an individual who can no longer live at home but wants to maintain a certain level of independence. This individual would do well in an assisted living program. They do not have to worry about preparing food or ordering their medications, they are cared for by professional staff in a gentle and caring manner. The final level would be a skilled nursing facility, (SNF) also referred to as a nursing and rehabilitation facility. This is for the individual that requires total care. Often times they are coming from a hospital post-surgery, or they had some type of fall and need the full-time care.
It is important to keep in mind that every individual situation will require a different plan. It is important to speak to a trusted source to help figure out what would be the best option for the individual.
Author: Joseph Roberg
Joseph Roberg is a licensed social worker with over 10 years’ experience in the healthcare industry and working with the geriatric and special needs communities. He is currently the Director of Marketing and Business development at Elm York assisted living. He can be reached at josephr@elmyork.com or by calling 347-238-5595.
