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<\/em><\/p>\nIf you’re just beginning\u00a0your search for an assisted living community<\/a>\u00a0to care for an aging loved one,\u00a0you may not be entirely clear about what an assisted living community is or what living in one means. It is\u00a0easy to assume that an assisted living community is the new “nursing home” or “retirement home.” However, senior care professionals and senior living designers have worked\u00a0over the past 30 years to revolutionize\u00a0communities<\/a>\u00a0to make them truly feel like home.<\/p>\n According to the\u00a0National Investment Center’s<\/a>\u00a0Investment Guide, there were 6,315 professionally managed assisted living communities in the U.S. with approximately 475,500 apartments.<\/p>\n We spoke with a few of our caring staff members at A Place for Mom who\u00a0have\u00a0knowledge of assisted living communities across North America, and they provided us with some great insight for our article.<\/p>\n Because there is no nationwide definition for assisted living (although it\u00a0is\u00a0regulated\u00a0in all 50 states<\/a>), senior facilities\u00a0that call themselves assisted living communities\u00a0can offer\u00a0differing\u00a0levels of care. They offer a more\u00a0cost-effective, residential approach to delivering many of the same services available in skilled nursing, either by employing home health agencies or personal care staff.<\/p>\n An A Place for Mom Advisor in\u00a0Chicago,<\/a>\u00a0Dovid Grossman<\/a>\u00a0says, “Not all assisted living communities are equal. Some provide lighter care, and some can even provide care for those who bedridden or who need help eating while still remaining in assisted living as opposed to a nursing home.” It often depends on the community’s licensing. Many states have a tiered system of licensing whereby communities with a higher degree of licensing are able to provide more care.<\/p>\n Care aside, the look and feel of communities\u00a0vary\u00a0as well. Some communities have a more formal, traditional design while others may have a more home-like, down to earth ambiance. Some communities may have art deco decor while others are more firmly grounded in mid-century modern design. Assisted living communities\u00a0come\u00a0in all shapes and sizes. They can be towering apartment buildings in city\u00a0centers, sprawling complexes in the suburbs, or more intimate cottages or communities catering to a relatively small number of residents. There’s no nationwide standard size, but according to our own definition, assisted living communities are licensed to care for at least 20 people, but could\u00a0have hundreds of residents.<\/p>\n Krystal Chan, Partner Account\u00a0Manager at A Place for Mom, says, “Every assisted living community has a different personality. You can visit two communities down the street from one another that offer the same care and services, they may even look identical to one another, but that\u00a0feel\u00a0very different. Just because your loved one didn’t like one community, doesn’t mean the next one won’t feel right.”<\/p>\n Senior living communities have different pet policies with specific breed restrictions and weight limits, so it’s important to do your research. For example, some communities have “pet interviews” to determine whether the pet is right for their community, while others allow all pets\u00a0under 20 lbs. Birds and fish are also welcome in many communities, and some communities even have Pet Coordinators to care for any feathered or furry friends. So make sure to contact your communities of choice and ask about their particular pet policy.<\/p>\n For more in-depth information about the\u00a0benefits\u00a0seniors receive from their furry companion, read our article on “Companion and Healing Pets at Senior Living<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Assisted living is often less expensive<\/a>\u00a0than home health or nursing home care in the same geographic area. The\u00a0A Place for Mom Senior Care Cost Calculator<\/a>\u00a0can help you determine the cost of assisted living in your city and state, and you can also compare it to the cost of maintaining a home or employing a full-time home care aide.<\/p>\n Additionally, more seniors are purchasing long-term care insurance to help finance their long-term care needs. Wartime veterans and their spouses may eligible for\u00a0VA benefits<\/a>\u00a0that can offset the cost of care. A Place for Mom’s\u00a0Guide to Financing Senior Care<\/a>\u00a0has details about creative financing plans that can make care affordable as well. Those with low income may need to use Medicaid to pay for senior care. To explore this option, contact your local Area Agency on Aging Office, which can be located\u00a0at:\u00a0www.eldercare.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our research suggests<\/a>\u00a0that many families believe they need nursing homes for their ailing older loved one when in fact assisted living is the most appropriate option. An assessment by an Advisor or medical professional is the best way to determine the care type needed, but some general distinctions can be drawn between assisted living and nursing homes. For instance:<\/p>\n An increasing number of assisted living communities are designed to meet the unique cultural, dietary, lingual and religious-based needs of local populations. On the West Coast, there are many\u00a0Asian senior living communities<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0Fremont Hills<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Fremont, California<\/a>, and more are on the way. Our corporate partner,\u00a0Aegis of Newcastle<\/a>\u00a0recently broke ground on a new community designed to meet the needs of the predominantly Chinese population in the area.<\/p>\n Jewish communities are popular too, particularly in\u00a0Florida<\/a>. Many assisted living communities\u00a0serve\u00a0kosher foods (some even have certified kosher kitchens), celebrate Jewish holidays and have weekly Shabbat services.\u00a0Five Star Residence of Boca Raton<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Boca Raton, Florida<\/a>\u00a0is just one of the many predominately Jewish communities in our network of options.<\/p>\n Some communities offer multiple cultural, religious and dietary options.\u00a0Beverly Hills Loving Care<\/a>\u00a0has an equal share of Jewish and Persian residents, and have staff that\u00a0speaks\u00a0both Farsi and Yiddish.<\/p>\n As America ages and diversifies, we’ve also seen an\u00a0ever-increasing\u00a0demand for niche retirement communities, including golf-oriented communities,\u00a0LGBT oriented communities<\/a>\u00a0and communities with themes no one has even thought of yet.<\/p>\n The\u00a0latest facts and figures<\/a>\u00a0show that\u00a0more than 5.4 million Americans with\u00a0Alzheimer’s disease and dementia<\/a>\u00a0require specialized dementia care treatment.<\/p>\nThings You Didn’t Know About Assisted Living<\/h2>\n
1. Assisted Living Provides Different Levels of Care<\/h3>\n
2. Each Community Is\u00a0Unique<\/h3>\n
3. Fido Can Come Too!<\/h3>\n
4. Some Assisted Living Costs Are\u00a0Lower Than You Think<\/h3>\n
5. This Type of Care\u00a0Is Not Synonymous With Nursing Homes<\/h3>\n
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6. There Are Culturally Diverse Options<\/h3>\n
7. Specialized Dementia Care Is Also Offered in Assisted Living<\/h3>\n