- 55+ Life Style
- Choosing the Right Retirement Community for You
- Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices
- Retiring and Lifestyle
- 55+ Real Estate
- Chicago, My Kind of Town!
- Best Places To Retire In Florida
- Why You Should Move to a Retirement Community
- Affordable Retirement Housing
- Affordable Retirement Communities
- Choosing the Right Retirement Community for You
- Small Town Retirement Living Has Advantages
- Assisted Living
- Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities
- A Place to Retire - What to Consider
- CCRC
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities
- A Place to Retire - What to Consider
- Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices
- Financial Planning
- A Place to Retire - What to Consider
- Retiring and Lifestyle
- Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices
- Recreation
- Myrtle Beach Real Estate 55 plus Using a Realtor
- Retiring and Lifestyle
- Active Adult Communities - What and Why?
- Retirement
- Affordable Retirement Communities
- Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices
- Retiring and Lifestyle
Seniors, Explore Your Assisted Living Choices 11/29/2007 - By 55CommunityGuide.com Staff
One type of community you might want to explore is one that provides assisted living housing. According to AARP, there are a number of different names given to assisted living retirement communities.
According to AARP, there are a number of different names given to assisted living retirement communities. These include:
- Adult congregate living care
- Adult foster care
- Adult homes
- Adult living care
- Board and care
- Community based retirement facilities
- Domiciliary care
- Enhanced care
- Personal care
- Residential care
- Retirement residences
- Sheltered housing
- Supported care
Regardless of what you call it, assisted living housing is a specialized type of retirement housing that allows you to continue to live independently while still receiving extra help when necessary. As you grow older, you might need help getting to the store or with cooking meals. With the help of assisted living retirement communities, you can receive this little bit of extra help while still living on your own.
Deciding if Assisted Living is Right for You
Assisted living retirement communities are not the right choice for everyone. For example, if you require an extensive amount of care, an assisted living community may not be able to provide you with the level of support you need.
Even if you do not currently require assisted living care, you might still be interested in moving to one of these facilities. That way, these services will be in place when and if the time arises that you require extra assistance.
Regardless of your current situation and the amount of extra services you will require from an assisted living retirement community, there are a number of factors you will need to consider when choosing the community that is right for you.
Choosing the Right Location
When it comes to assisted living, Florida is one of the most popular states to move to. As such, this state has many communities to select from. Another of the most popular states for assisted living, California, also has many communities. Nonetheless, you will be able to find assisted living retirement communities no matter what state you are interested in living in.
Give the location of the retirement community careful consideration. If weather is an issue for you, you certainly want to select a state that has the type of weather conditions you prefer. At the same time, it might be important to you to stay close to your family. In this case, you might choose a retirement community that is located in the same state as your family.
In addition to considering the state, you need to carefully consider the city you want to live in or near to. If you are interested in going to school or taking classes through the continuing education department of a local college, for example, you might want to move to a community that is near a college. If you have special health issues, on the other hand, you might want to move to a community that is located near to the facility that can provide you with the best care.
Selecting from Among the Various Assisted Living Concepts
The next decision you will need to make is which of the various type of assisted living concepts is right for you. Keep in mind that there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to these communities. Therefore, there will be many different sizes of communities for you to select from. The same is true when it comes to the size of your unit within the community. As such, you need to develop an idea of just how much space you need so you can live comfortably.
In addition to the size of your living quarters, you also need to determine the type of living arrangement that is best for you. For example, your living space may be just one room in a large facility or it may be a full-sized apartment. Some retirement communities even have separate house units for their residents. After determining which of these assisted living concepts is best for you, you can begin looking at other factors involved in choosing the right facility.
Consider the Assisted Living Cost
Keep in mind that the assisted living business is just that – a business. Therefore, the owners of these facilities will expect to make money from their retirement communities. Obviously, you can't expect to live at an assisted living retirement community for free, buy you should certainly consider the cost of staying in the community.
The assisted living cost you will have to pay can vary depending upon the geographic location of the community as well as on the type of assistance provided. If the community has any extra amenities, such as a pool or a tennis court, you may have to pay an even higher cost.
Obviously, you want the assisted living cost to be within your budget, which means you need to make sure you can afford to stay in the community for several more years. Therefore, be certain to consider the cost as well as the services the community provides to its members.
Consider Services and Benefits
Most likely, the main reason you are moving into an assisted living retirement community is to continue living independently while getting a little extra help. Therefore, you need to consider the assisted living regulations of the state you are looking to move to as well as the services and benefits being provided by each particular facility.
There are many benefits that you may be able to enjoy at an assisted living retirement community. Before you sign any agreements, however, make sure the community offers the benefits you need. Some common services that you may want to watch for include:
- Help with getting dressed
- Assistance with doing laundry
- Transportation services
- Housekeeping assistance
- Cooking and making sure you get three meals per day
- Medication assistance
If you take the time to carefully select the right assisted living retirement community for you, you will be able to enjoy all of the comforts of home while still getting the extra help you need. In addition, you can enjoy a greater amount of privacy and independence than you would at a nursing home and taking advantage of the services offered is entirely up to you.