Senior Living Options Today
Long gone are the days when senior housing conjured up images of living alone at home or moving into nursing home facilities that felt more like hospitals for the old.
Since the late 1980s, the concept of senior housing has evolved from medical care for the elderly to one of providing services to allow the aging to live with more independence. And in the last two decades, that concept has further evolved to accommodate lifestyle and quality of life choices, focusing not just on senior “living” but “living well.”
Today, senior living is all about choice: in accommodations, activities, fitness, food, and healthcare.
Options for Independent Seniors
Independent seniors who are active can consider these types of senior living options:
1. Senior Apartments
Target: These apartments are for independent adults aged 55 and over
Offerings: Apartments are designed to be accessible with seniors in mind. Services can range from a typical luxury building (doorman, elevator, gym) to providing transportation or access to social services
Housing: Apartments can range from luxury accommodations with high-end finishes to low-income housing
Payment: Monthly rental
2. Age-Restricted Communities
AKA “retirement communities,” “active adult communities,” “55+ communities.”
Target: These types of communities target independent, healthy adults aged 55 and over and promote an active, low-maintenance lifestyle among peers
Offerings: Typically, they are amenity-rich, offering well-appointed clubhouses with on-site pools, tennis courts and/or golf course. Services may include home maintenance, landscaping, etc.
Housing: Styles range from single family detached homes, townhouses, cottages, bungalows, to condominiums.
Payment: These homes are for sale with a monthly community fee
3. Independent Living
Target: Independent seniors who are typically aged 65 and over who desire a higher level of service and activities
Offerings: These communities provide dining, fitness programs, social hours, continuing education, and a calendar of activities to suit interests, along with housekeeping/laundry, and home maintenance
Housing: Styles range from single family detached homes, townhouses, cottages, bungalows, to apartments with full-sized kitchens and often with washer/dryer
Payment: Monthly rental
Options for Seniors Who Need Assistance
When seniors need help with daily living activities or with healthcare, there are many options available, depending on the level and type of care needed:
1. Home Care
Target: Seniors who need help with daily activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking and who want to remain in their current home
Offerings: Certified home aides or personal care aides can assist with daily activities. Visiting nurses can provide medical services.
Housing: Current home
Payment: Hourly
2. Residential Care Homes
AKA “Group Homes,” “Adult Homes,” or “Rest Homes”
Target: Seniors who need assistance with daily activities around the clock in a smaller, more intimate community
Offerings: Aides or caretakes are available 24 hours a day and can assist with bathing, grooming, cooking, errands. Amenities and nursing services can vary.
Housing: Private or shared rooms, with shared bathrooms within a home environment
Payment: Monthly rental
3. Assisted Living
Target: Seniors who need varying levels of assistance with daily activities and who would like more of a community
Offerings: Services include all meals, housekeeping, laundry, scheduled transportation for errands, wellness programs with a daily calendar of activities and events. Additional levels of assistance can be provided depending on need – from medication management, incontinence care, bathing, grooming, dressing, etc. Care staff is available 24 hours a day with on-site nurses and/or scheduled doctor visits. Some communities can coordinate with hospice care so that aging in place would be possible. Many amenities are often provided including common living rooms, dining room, library, movie theater/media room, arts and crafts room, fitness room, etc.
Housing: Several options available including studios/1 bedroom/2 bedroom apartments or with kitchenettes (smaller refrigerator, sink, and microwave), private or shared suites.
Payment: Monthly rental
4. Memory Care
AKA “Alzheimer’s/Dementia care”
Target: Seniors who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia
Offerings: Memory Care Services are similar to Assisted Living but residents receive a higher level of care for their Alzheimer’s or dementia. Residences have an extra level of security to prevent wandering, along with regular safety checks. The calendar of activities and events are designed to improve memory and cognition
Housing: Private or shared rooms, with shared bathrooms, private or shared suites, and studio apartments with kitchenettes
Payment: Monthly rental
5. Skilled Nursing
Target: Often a short-term solution for seniors who need access to 24-hour medical care in addition to assistance with daily living activities, as they recover from a recent hospitalization due to a serious illness or injury
Offerings: Licensed and registered nurses are available on-site 24 hours a day to provide medical care. Services include all meals, housekeeping, laundry. Additional levels of assistance can be provided depending on need – from medication management, incontinence care, toileting, bathing, grooming, dressing, eating, etc. Some communities can coordinate with hospice care so that aging in place would be possible.
Housing: Private or shared rooms, with shared bathrooms
Payment: Daily rates
6. Continuing Care Retirement Communities
AKA "CCRCs" or “Life Plan Communities”
Target: Independent seniors who recognize that they may need increasing levels of care and assistance as they age and would prefer to age in place
Offerings: Amenities and services will cover Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing
Housing: Single family homes, townhouses, cottages, apartments (from studios to 2-bedrooms) in Independent Living to apartments with kitchenettes in Assisted Living to studios or private suites in Memory care to private or shared rooms in Skilled Nursing
Payment: One-time buy-in fee upfront with monthly community fees
The choices can be overwhelming but one thing for sure is that they all respond to today’s seniors who demand to focus on LIVING rather than simply aging.
Which Senior Living Option is Best for You? Kithward can help.