Navigating Senior Living Options: How to Choose the Right Community

Choosing a new lifestyle in a senior community can be a difficult decision. Start investigating early on so that you understand the differences between communities, your preferences, and the options available to you as you age. There are many choices and levels of care in senior housing. Here is what you need to know:

Independent living communities. These help seniors stay independent for as long as possible. They offer your own apartment with a full kitchen, activities, outings, meal packages, and housekeeping.

Assisted living communities. These offer apartment-style living for seniors with some independence issues. Medication assistance is available, as well as activities, programs, laundry service, housekeeping, on-site nursing care, scheduled transportation, and a central dining area for all meals.

Supportive living facilities. These offer assisted living for anyone over the age of 65 and are paid for by private pay or Medicaid, if you qualify.

Continuing care retirement communities. These always have independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care on the same campus, and some also have a memory care component. Some CCRC’s only allow prospective residents to enter while they are healthy and don’t have care needs.

Memory care communities. They offer assisted living at a secure property with structure for those with cognitive impairment. Residents are assisted with daily routines that are sensitive toward their memory needs. All activities, meals, and programs accommodate their level of memory loss.

Skilled nursing facilities. These are designed to assist those who require a high level of medical support and are dependent on skills provided by the nursing staff and certified nursing assistants.

Choosing a senior living community can be confusing. Elderwerks Educational Services is a popular referral service that can help you figure out the best housing opportunity for your or your loved one’s needs.

Please visit https://www.elderwerks.org/ for more information.

Elderwerks Educational Services : 251 E. Northwest Highway : Palatine, IL 60067: 855.462.0100 : https://www.elderwerks.org/