Sunday, August 18, 2013

What is Assisted Living, and What Are Its Benefits?


An assisted living facility is very much like a nursing home, but it also provides special care to those who need it. What differentiates it from a nursing home is the very fact that it offers more freedom and independence the person receiving care. There is one more difference - where nursing homes provide their services only to the elderly people, these facilities welcome even the young ones if they are physically disabled and need special care. There are many companies who are specialized in providing special care and housing solutions for both the elderly people as well as those who are young but have serious accessibility problems. Still, in general, these facilities largely cater to senior citizens only.

How Does These Facilities Work?
Unlike what happens in nursing homes, an assisted living facility does not monitor their residents all the time. It provides private apartments for its clients where the staff members make periodical visits in order to provide assistance to those who need it. Some staff members just visit them in order to provide them companionship so that they do not feel lonely. However, meals are not provided to the clients at their separate apartments. The residents have to o to the communal dining halls for their meals. This way, if some of the residents who are disabled or have accessibility problems, they get a chance to go out in the public and interact with people (who are also suffering from similar problems) in a friendly environment. So, they don't feel self conscious anymore.

In most cases, the main objective of the assisted living facilities is to provide an opportunity and platform for the people with disabilities to become self dependent. That is the reason why many facilities also feature handrails, lower countertops and tables, and wheelchair-accessible showers.

How Can One Benefit From These Special Homes?
Assisted living homes make the best option for those who are otherwise self sufficient but need some special care and assistance because of their physical disabilities. These facilities provide them a good platform where they can learn how to live independently and without having any sense of inferiority. These facilities inculcate self confidence in their residents by having a busy schedule of events so that there's no time for worries or develop inferiority complex.

However, it is very important for you to understand that assisted living facilities are not meant for those who are mentally challenged or very frail. For them, nursing home is undoubtedly a much better option. These are the people who need assistance twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, which only a nursing home can provide.

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