subject: Assisting Seniors With Daily Living [print this page] Do you have a senior in need of assisted living? Assisted living facilities can be just the thing for a senior citizen who needs help with the daily activities of life. Assisted living is not a nursing home, so the senior does not need to feel they are being sent "to the home". Assisted living faciities allow as much independence as their residents can handle, but provide services in the areas where they need help. Thus, assisted living is a good housing situation for senior citizens who are able to handle most, but not all, of the daily chores of life.
Assisted living facilities have been created as a transition for senior citizens as the years go by. They are really just senior living communities, either as an apartment complex or a set of condominiums. Each resident in assisted living has their own living quarters and are allowed to decorate it however they wish.
They may move in to an assisted living situation even before they have any specific medical needs, but are simply tired of coping with day to day chores. There are often central dining facilities where many senior residents meet for dinner. But everyone has their own kitchen where they can cook as much as they wish. Housekeeping may be one of the services provided at assisted living facilities, and the amount of cleaning may vary with the individual's desires.
Of course, the services available in assisted living can be ramped up as a senior resident has more and more needs. The benefit of moving in to assisted living before these needs are too great is that the residents are still very active and can get to know all of the neighbors in the facilities. As time goes on and more services are needed, more services can be provided. Sometimes, these services might involve moving to another residence within the facilities. Certain apartments in assisted living are built with special needs in mind, such as special bathing or sleeping care. Other services might include having all rooms on one floor, or perhaps in a condo there will be a small elevator or "stair chair" to the second floor.
A search of the assisted living communities in your area on the internet will give you a list of the top housing for senior living. Since these communities are built with the care of senior citizens in mind, they will have different services in different apartments, as the managers know that a range of services will be needed. As your family member develops the need for these different services over time, it will be possible for them to move to a different apartment in the same housing area without having to move a long way and leave their friends behind. This is a great benefit of assisted living communities, allowing flexiblity in providing senior living services to our aging citizens. If you have a family member who is reaching the point where assisted living could help, take a look into the communities that are available in your area.
