What is Assisted Living?
Assisted Living
Assisted living is a special combination of housing and personalized support services designed to meet the needs-both scheduled and unscheduled-of those who need help with activities of daily living. Activities of daily living can include tasks related to personal hygiene, laundry, eating, and other similar personal care needs.
Assisted living is a residential option that promotes self-direction and participation in decisions regarding care and services. As a model of supportive housing, assisted living emphasizes independence, individuality, privacy, dignity, and choice. The levels of services within assisted living can be tailored to meet an individual’s needs and preferences. Currently, there are 147 assisted living facilities operating in New Hampshire that are licensed by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services.
Long-Term Care
Some call them shared homes, sheltered care homes, rest homes, assisted living homes, or by some other similar name. When residential care homes became licensed and regulated several years ago, the name “residential care homes” was adopted.
Residential care homes provide long-term care for the elderly and disabled. They are usually broken down into two categories: Residential Care Homes, and Supported Residential Care Homes.
Residential Care Homes
Residential Care Homes
Residential Care Homes are homes and facilities where residents need and receive assistance with their activities of daily living. This includes assistance with bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, eating, walking, etc. Other services provided include preparation of special diets, supervision of taking medication and observation of physical and emotional health. Residential Care Homes are operated on a 24-hour basis to provide residential accommodations, personal care, social, occupational and recreational services.
Support Residential Care Homes
Supported Residential Care Homes offer the same services as a Residential Care Home. In addition to these services, Supported Residential Care Homes can care for those residents who have greater medical needs. Supported Residential Care Homes offer nursing intervention for those residents who need nursing services, but yet do not need the 24-hour services of a more expensive nursing home.
How is assisted living different from other forms of senior housing and nursing homes?
Assisted living fits in the continuum of care between shared living arrangements such as congregate housing and the more intensive medical and skilled nursing services provided by nursing homes. One of assisted living’s defining features is the individualized personal care provided to residents who need assistance with activities of daily living or for example help with medications. Assisted living also can provide a structured setting for residents who are experiencing memory loss and other symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.
Many individuals and their families choose assisted living because it values the independence and dignity of individual residents while providing cost effective and needed services in a home-like environment. Assisted living, with a few exceptions, does not provide the 24 hour skilled medical services of a nursing home and may only be chosen as an option after a required resident assessment is made of an individual’s medical status and functional ability.