Assisted living facilities serve a very important purpose when it comes to senior care, and many people benefit from using these in a big way. However, other services, and particularly in-home care, often have benefits that assisted living doesn’t have. Before you make any sort of decision, make sure that you have all of the facts. Our goal is to educate you as best as possible so that you can arrive at the right answer for your particular set of needs. If you have any questions, one of our care specialists will be glad to help. Here are a few things to consider to get you started.
Assisted living is often a short term solution. Many people that find themselves in a facility are there because they can no longer get around their homes on their own. This is quite common among senior citizens; more than half of everyone over the age of 65 will need some sort of senior care in their lifetime. But when someone is in deteriorating health, sometimes assisted living is used as a middle ground before a nursing home is used. Nursing homes have a purpose, of course, but constant or frequent transfers can be devastating on an elderly person’s health, especially if they suffer from dementia.
Also, different assisted living facilities charge differing rates. Some accept Medicaid or Medi-Cal, and some do not. The price difference between using a fulltime in-home care service and an assisted living facility are typically about the same when it comes to the basics, but not everything is set in stone. If you decide to go with an assisted living home, make sure that you are well aware of prices upfront and that you know what the extra costs are. Most places are more than reputable, but it pays to know what you will be charged for. No one likes those kind of unpleasant surprises.
Finally, be sure to read reviews of what other clients have said. You can find these online, on the website of the company that you are going through, and on independent review sites like Yelp or Google. There’s no solid way of ranking assisted living facilities, or even in-home care services, for that matter. These are mostly done through private companies, and no formal and universal ratings system exists. Going with what independent users have said is a good way to know what others have experienced. If there is a disproportionate amount of negative reviews out there, you will know to stay away from that particular service. Remember though, people are more inclined to publicly review a service when it is subpar. That means great reviews are worth more than bad ones.
This article isn’t meant to dissuade you from considering using an assisted living facility. In fact, we think that they can be a very good solution. But we do stress that you know as much as you can before you decide on a solution to your family’s senior care needs, regardless of what you are considering. Finding the perfect care solution is a huge priority, and the better the fit, the happier everyone involved will be.
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