Assisted living is a term usually used in conjunction with senior citizen homes. It includes assistance with the daily activities of life, helping residents with administration of medication or personal care by trained staff, and monitoring of activities to make sure that the residents are safe and taken care of. This can be true for anyone who is not able to do his or her daily life activities but it is usually the provided for - senior citizens, mentally and physically challenged, and the people who are suffering from a chronic disease that make them dependent on others. It is actually a philosophy of provision of care and services in order to enable them to lead a dignified life.
Assisted, living facilities are licensed at the state level. Assisted care living facility, Personal care homes, and Old people's homes are some of the names used for such facilities. Such facilities are a way to make sure that a standard of care and concern will be provided to the people who cannot do so for themselves.
Assisted living facilities cannot be compared or equated with Nursing Homes for there are mark differences between the two.
o Nursing homes employ licensed medical professionals such as nurses, doctors and paramedical staff, who provide medical services to its residents. Non-medical staff usually provides assisted-living facilities and if they have licensed medical practitioners on their staff, then their responsibilities are usually limited to providing routine medical services.
o There is greater preference over privacy and personal care in assisted living facilities.
There are about one million Americans staying in assisted, living facilities. Thereby, much emphasis is on such assisted-living facilities rather than Nursing Homes.
A typical assisted living facility is usually a renovated Victorian house or school that has large and spacious areas where all residents can dine together, have a recreational and social activity that helps in bonding everyone as one big family and not feel the absence of their loved ones.
Some of the services provided in assisted, living facilities are preparation and serving of timely meals, laundry and ironing of personal clothing and linens, administration of medication, supervision of outdoor and indoor activities, reading and engaging in hobbies that interest the residents so as to keep the zeal for living ignited in them.
While looking for an assisted-living facility, one should consider what would be best for their particular circumstances. For most people, cost and location are the number one deciding factors. Second comes the reputation of the place. Is the staff well trained? Is it a licensed facility and is it safe?
Most of the assisted, living facilities are opened both for monitory and non-monitory means. A few are opened in order to make profits while others are opened as a social services or a charity that works for a cause. Before the legalization of such facilities, they were all privately owned. But, fortunately the requirement of licensure have regularized and improved the quality of services provided in most assisted living facilities.
No one wants to be dependent on others for the basic and everyday activities of life. Life circumstances beyond one's control can force one to lead a dependent life. However, one still has the ability to choose a dignified assisted life over a completely dependent and disgraceful living.
Assisted living facilities provide one with this choice - a choice to be able to do what one can and at the same time get assistance for what one must.
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