Assisted Living – Why It’s Best For Seniors

Assisted living is a term used to collectively describe home and companionship care services for senior adults. Assisted living is the general term for many kinds of in-home care services for people with certain disabilities. The services covered may be medical, emotional support, help with activities of daily living, meals, dressing, and hygiene maintenance. Home and companionship care are not limited to elderly adults, but can be beneficial to anyone with a disability or limited mobility.

Home and companionship care is traditionally offered by licensed personnel in a nursing home. Home aides provide supervision, assistance with activities of daily living, bathing, medication reminders. Senior home aides are always on hand to make sure your loved one is getting the attention and care they need. If you have an aging parent, it’s important to remember they’re there to look after you and love you no matter how old you get.

Home health care is health care provided in a home for the purpose of maintenance and rehabilitation of health. It is usually provided by non-medical personnel who have the training and skill to administer basic therapy and to treat patients in a gentle, non-judgmental manner. As the name implies, home health care is focused on the patient’s well-being, and it involves a variety of services including occupational and speech therapy as well as medical therapy, physical therapy, and nursing care. Your family member’s needs will be carefully assessed before any decision is made regarding their care.

Assisted living facilities are a place to live, but not a place to stay in. Assisted living facilities provide twenty-four hour supervision and around-the-clock medical care in a secure environment. Some assisted living facilities offer 24-hour supervision and emergency medical service. Assisted living facility staff members follow a code of ethics that make them aware of their responsibilities to their residents.

Seniors want to remain independent and want to enjoy their freedom. Assisted living provides that opportunity. When seniors live in their own home, they often have an array of different activities to take part in. They may be able to stay in the comfort of their own bedroom at night and take advantage of the many activities available on the weekends or during evenings.

Medicare, our country’s famous federal health care plan may cover some aspects of assisted living. Although Medicare does not pay for overnight or short term care, long term assisted living may be covered by a Medicare Part D coverage. As with any other Medicare program, Medicare Part D may cover medications, doctor visits, and certain hospitalization costs. There are specific guidelines on how the Medicare Part D coverage may work with your particular situation.

Senior citizens can also use private medical care plans offered by various companies and organizations. In general these plans will cover the same things as Medicare. However, you may want to check and make sure the company that you choose pays the agreed upon amount each month. Just because you have Medicare, does not mean that you don’t have to worry about ongoing medical expenses.

There are many options available to help seniors with their daily needs. Whether it is an in-home companion or in-home medical care insurance plan, there are ways to keep senior citizens independent and safe. Choosing the right policy is a very personal decision. If you are at least 45 years old and have medical needs, talk to an experienced insurance agent to find out what type of private policy best fits your needs.

Many senior citizens prefer to stay in assisted living facilities rather than nursing homes. This can be a viable choice if they can afford it. Some assisted living facilities offer twenty-four hour supervision while the resident is in the facility. Many nursing homes do not offer twenty-four hour supervision.

Housekeeping assistance is another advantage that most assisted living facilities offer. They will come into the house daily to perform the many daily tasks such as cleaning the bathroom, preparing food, doing light housekeeping, shopping for the residents’ needs and more. These assistants are trained to know how to help seniors with their personal care needs, whether that is bathroom visits shopping, dining, laundry or even visiting family and friends. There are housekeeping services that also include bathing and dressing seniors.

Although the government may set limits on how much social security payments and Medicaid can be spent, many senior citizens choose to receive their social security benefits through home care agencies. They may have little money to spend on private home care, but they still want to remain in their own homes. And, by receiving home care assistance from home care agencies, they can do just that.