What:

Hang the pictures.
Put the furniture in your favorite places.
Settle into a living experience that provides all the comforts of home without many of the responsibilities.

Assisted Living has come a long way in the last 30 years. Bright rooms with natural light, private apartments, open common areas, and engaging social calendars all contribute to creating an environment that is anything but the sterile, institutional setting so many of us fear. Instead, Assisted Living now more closely resembles what it might be like to live on a cruise ship—a
cruise ship that also helps with the activities of daily living like bathing, medication management, toileting, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation. All assistance is provided in the privacy of the apartments, adding to the ease and dignity of the living experience.

Who:

The assisted living level of care is intended for people who are still willing and able to retain a good deal of independence, but who also need some support with the activities of daily living to be able to do so safely.

Consider This Scenario:

After several hospitalizations that indicate some support is needed, a daughter and her aging father tour an Assisted Living community. He is wheelchair bound but can transfer by himself and wheel himself around to wherever he needs to go. However, he needs help with bathing, dressing, medication management, and transportation. He is reluctant to move in. He doesn’t want to leave his home and is insistent that he will never participate in activities. After a few weeks, the daughter grows concerned because her father never answers the phone when she calls. She follows up with the facility only to find
out that her dad isn’t answering her calls because he is busy being social. He engages with all the staff daily, goes to all kinds of activities, and participates in group activities. He is only in his apartment to sleep, making it difficult for his daughter to catch him on the phone. He starts to entertain visits from his granddaughter who is a gifted piano player, and he has her play for the other residents whenever she visits. His only complaint is that he didn’t make this choice sooner.

Cost:

The average cost for Assisted Living communities (meals, housekeeping, transportation, utilities) can range from $4,500 to $6,500/month depending on the size of the apartment inclusive of the level of care. Studio apartments, and one- and two-bedroom arrangements are offered.