Most Popular Senior Living Options Explained

While many senior citizens choose to retire in the home they’ve lived in for many years, this is often not possible due to various reasons. This may be because their primary caregivers (who are often their children) simply do not have the time or knowledge to care for their loved one. As such, there are certain senior living options that are available to all seniors that they should know about. Here we will discuss the 3 most popular options for seniors during retirement: assisted living facilities, nursing homes and senior apartments:

Senior Apartments

This is generally the most independent living option for seniors. Senior living apartments provide seniors with all of the amenities they need in an apartment to live a worry-free and maintenance-free life. When looking for senior apartments near them, seniors and their loved ones should know that senior citizen apartments often come in the form of studios, 1-bedroom and even 2 bedrooms for those seniors who require additional space. Senior citizen apartments often come without any assistance services and are perfect for those seniors who do not need any help with their daily lives. Some 55+ apartments are part of larger continuing care communities, so in those apartments it is possible to find assisted living services from the communities. As a general rule, in all senior apartments seniors can choose to contract with home health care agencies to receive assistance as they need it.

Assisted Living Facilities

You can think of assisted living facilities as senior apartments with a little extra help when it comes to daily living activities. Assisted living facilities are generally part of assisted living communities and include numerous dining, entertainment and recreational opportunities for senior citizens. In addition to senior apartments, senior citizens get help with 2 or more daily living activities such as dressing, eating, bathing, going to the toilet or moving in and out of bed. Assisted living services in such communities can be purchased a-la-carte whenever they are needed, or can be done via assisted living packages that the senior and their family purchase prior to moving in. Almost all assisted living communities near you will generally have a nurse on staff in case of any emergencies, though 24/7 nursing services are not provided in the homes. Assisted living facilities can be part of large complexes with hundreds of apartments, or small residential care homes that house only 5 to 10 residents. Assisted living facilities are perfect for senior citizens who are relatively independent but need some help with daily activities. Assisted living costs are usually not covered by Medicaid or Medicare, so they have to be paid out of pocket using retirement savings or long-term care insurance.
Nursing Homes

Probably the most known and sometimes stigmatized senior living option out there, nursing homes are for those senior citizens who require 24/7 skilled nursing care. Many people mistakenly think that nearby nursing homes are the only senior living option out there and do know about assisted living facilities, which are often a better choice for their loved one who may not need nursing care but needs help with daily living. The great thing about nursing homes is that they can be generally paid for via Medicare, at least in part. Nursing homes accept both short-term residents who require rehabilitation, such as after a stroke, a fall, or surgery, as well as long-term residents who are simply too frail to live on their own and cannot manage to live at home or in assisted living facilities. Similar to assisted living facilities, nursing homes will include dining and recreation as part of their care package.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)

The most expensive senior living option of them all, CCRCs are senior communities that allow senior citizens to enjoy retirement no matter what their health is. They usually include all senior living options: independent senior apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing care. A resident can start their retirement journey in a senior apartment without any daily living help and can easily transfer to assisted living or nursing home whenever their health needs change, without having to switch communities. CCRCs are also perfect for older couples who have different requirements, where one may not need any assistance while the other may be in worse health and require assisted living services.

This is a guest blog entry.