There will come a time when every senior needs to consider transitioning thir living arrangements into something that better suits his or her needs.
There are quite a few options available when this happens and it’s important to have an understanding of what each type of senior housing can offer (and how much it costs) to be able to make the best decision for where to live.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the most common senior housing options and explained what it is, how it works, how much it costs (in a relative manner) and most of all, what kind of person will benefit most from it.
Aging In Place
This is, of course, when the senior elects to remain in their own home or in a family home.
For this to be a viable option, it’s best if the senior still has a high level of personal independence or is able to access the level of assistance that they need at home.
This is, of course, a fairly low cost option but the trade-off is usually that family members (or sometimes friends) need to do a bit more work than in other living situations.
Types of help that might be needed can range from an in-home caregiver, cleaners, local meal delivery and potentially modifications to the home such as a wheelchair ramp or medical alert system.
Independent Living
Independent living facilities are houses that have been built for use by seniors.
They’re sort of like being at college but without the lectures, they group seniors together to create a community of sorts where they may socialize easily.
This tends to come at a price though and you’re looking at spending anything from $2,000 to $10,000 a month for an independent living facility.
Seniors that want to enjoy a community without much in the way of household work will enjoy this kind of set up.
Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)
The CCRC is a blend of nursing facility and assisted living facility and yes, as you can imagine – it’s not cheap.
In fact, a CCRC is likely to be the most expensive option you can choose but it means that no matter how demanding the medical and care needs of a senior are, they can continue to live in a community.
The CCRC is ideal for an individual or couple that wants to set up a permanent home, safe in the knowledge they will always be taken care of properly.
Nursing Home
A nursing home, as the name suggests, is a place where a senior can get round the clock nursing care plus meals, activities, etc.
Nursing homes tend to be an option when the senior has a serious illness and is no longer capable of taking care of themself.
These facilities will ensure that medical care is always available under the guidance of a physician and that a nurse (or similar level of carer) is constantly on site.
As you’d expect, nursing homes are not cheap and the costs can vary considerably depending on the exact nature of an individual’s needs.
Village Concept Living
Village concept living is a relatively new idea which involves seniors staying in their own home but with support from neighbors and local businesses.
It’s not expensive (typically around $600 a month) to access the village service but you may have to pay for other services on top.
Villages won’t carry out services for the seniors, instead, they tend to act as a sort of concierge service and help is often provided by volunteers.
This is a great option for a senior that wants to live in a retirement community but isn’t keen to give up their home.
Residential Care Home
A residential care home is, usually, a small single facility home that allows for personalized services to be given to a range of seniors.
They’re sort of middle of the road when it comes to costs and are, certainly, much, much cheaper than nursing homes and can also be cheaper than assisted living care.
They will offer food, lodging and then some forms of assistance with day-to-day living too and they’re ideal if you have someone who needs a bit of individual care but not intense medical care.
One thing that is important to know about this type of care is that it won’t normally allow you to use Medicare or Medicaid to pay toward the costs of care.
Assisted Living Community
Assisted living communities are usually a collection of apartments that, together, form a community for care for seniors.
The exact services available can vary widely between communities and it’s important to find out what’s on offer before you commit.
You can normally get meals, medication, bathing, etc. and there are often social activities organized regularly too.
However, they’re not cheap and the exact cost will vary depending on the individual’s needs and the living space they move into.
It is highly recommended that whatever kind of living arrangement that a senior enters into, that you study the fine print of any contracts carefully.
You need to make sure that everything they need is included in the fee or risk extra bills at a later date.
Final Thoughts On Senior Housing Options
So, there we have it, the most common senior housing options and a good general introduction to each.
It’s important to ensure that the senior is involved, wherever possible, in decisions regarding their living arrangements, this can help keep the stress of change to a minimum.
Once you’ve decided on the kind of facility to live in, you might need to decide where it will be – there are great options in the USA and you might also want to consider retirement in Thailand or the Philippines too.