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What is Assisted Living?
Posted by: DeLila Bergan on March 04, 2008
Assisted living is the best thing since sliced bread! It offers assistance in an independent environment. The services provided focus on “assistance!” The role of the staff is to help the residents rather than to do for them. Assisted living is designed to give a little help in a resident’s day-to-day life. Residents enjoy their own apartment with a care giver nearby. Basic services include meal preparation, housekeeping and laundry, medication management, help with bathing and dressing, and social activities. With the help of volunteers and staff, various programs greatly enrich the lives of residents. Events include art, music, Bible study, outings, educational programs, entertainment and physical exercise. The assisted living setting becomes a warm, family-like environment.
This excellent choice for senior housing has a down side, namely cost, which can be just as expensive as a nursing home, but without the same nursing care. The Medicaid program in Texas has limited funding for assisted living and few facilities accept Medicaid as a source of payment. Most long-term care insurance policies do include assisted living in the types of care that can be funded by the policy. Veterans’ benefits may include partial funding for assisted living.
In Texas, assisted living facilities are licensed and categorized most often as an A-type or B-type facility. In an A-type facility, all residents must be independent enough to evacuate themselves in the event of a fire emergency. In a B-type facility, the resident may need assistance in order to get out of the building. Some facilities specialize in providing services to seniors with significant memory loss. Each facility establishes its own admission criteria within the guidelines of the state regulations. The assisted living environment is not designed for seniors who need 24-hour skilled nursing care. A popular alternative to a larger assisted living facility is the small group home (often called a residential care home). A group home, which is licensed as a small assisted living, may be found in any upscale neighborhood offering the ultimate in a residential environment.
The following frequently asked questions and answers about assisted living may help the reader understand what to expect when visiting a facility.
Q: What is the average cost?
A: It is not helpful to quote an average cost because, while some facilities have an all-inclusive rate, most charge a base rate of room and board plus add-on costs that depend on the care offered and the needs of the resident. The total costs can range from $2275 to $5,000 (or more) per month. The consumer needs to ask up front how the rates are determined. A long-term care insurance policy may cover some of the cost of assisted living.
Q: Do you have to sign a 6-month or 1-year contract for assisted living?
A: No, not usually. Assisted living is month to month. Most facilities have a one-time admission fee of $500 to $1,500.
Q: Can I just decide to live in a facility, sign a contract and move in?
A: Residents must meet admission criteria. An evaluation will be completed by a staff member and your physician will need to write a plan of care before admission.
Q: Can my mother still receive therapy in assisted living?
A: Yes, as long as the therapist coordinates a plan of treatment that follows the doctor’s orders. If your mother has Medicare Part B coverage and has not met her maximum cap for the year, the therapy provider should be able to bill Part B and/or any applicable insurance/co-insurance for this outpatient service.
Q: When is the right time to move Mom or Dad to assisted living?
A: From meal preparation to medication management, assisted living can help reduce the work and worries of everyday life. Often the physician will be the one to recommend moving to assisted living. The resident himself will sometimes wait too long before making the decision and, as a result, may then actually need nursing home care rather than assisted living. Making the move at the right time can prolong the number of years of independence.
By Virginia McDaniel, M.S. Ms. McDaniel is the Director of Resident Services at the Good Samaritan Society - Denton Village in Denton, Texas, which is a continuing care retirement community that provides independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing services to its residents. More information on the Good Samaritan Society - Denton Village may be found on this web site under Continuing Care Retirement Communities or at the Good Samaritan Society web site at www.good-sam.com.
For more information on assisted living, contact a local assisted living facility, the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) at www.alfa.org (703-894-1805), or contact this writer, Virginia McDaniel, at 940-383-6347. The ALFA has helpful information, including a checklist the consumer may use in choosing a facility.
Please also see the Long-Term Health Care Options section of this web site (Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Residences that Offer Health Care, such as Assisted Living, Dementia Care and Residential Care Homes) for additional information and a directory of local assisted living residences.
[Our thanks to Josh Cates and the Senior Resource Guide for allowing E-Senior Services to reprint Ms. McDaniel’s article for our readers.]
