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What is Assisted Living? Assisted Living is a special combination of housing, personalized supportive services and health care designed to respond to the individual needs of those who need help with activities of daily living but do not need the skilled medical care provided in a nursing home. Assisted Living care promotes maximum independence and dignity for each resident and encourages the involvement of a resident's family, neighbors and friends. Staff is available to meet scheduled and unscheduled needs. Assisted Living residents may also be called residential care facilities, adult congregate living facilities, personal care homes, catered living facilities, retirement homes, homes for adults, or community residences.
Assisted Living residents can be young or old, affluent or low income, frail or disabled. A typical resident is age 85 or older, is female, and is either widowed or single. Residents may suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other memory disorders. Residents may also need help with incontinence or mobility. Assisted Living is appropriate for someone who is too frail to live at home but does not need skilled nursing care. How many Assisted Living residences are there and what types of residences are they? While there is no information on the exact number of Assisted Living residences in America today, estimates range from 30,000 to 40,000. Approximately one million individuals live in Assisted Living residences. Residences may be free standing or housed with other residential options, such as independent living nursing care. They may be operated by non-profit or for-profit companies. Most facilities have between 25 and 120 units. Units may vary in size from one room to a full apartment.
States license this type of care, which is less intensive than a skilled nursing home and provides many more services than an independent living retirement facility. Licensure requirements vary from state to state. Most providers and their staffs have special training as a result either of state requirements or Assisted Living residence policy. Some states require special staff certification and training. Residences must comply with local building codes and fire safety regulations.
Costs vary with residence, room size and types of services needed by residents. Across the nation, daily basic fees range from approximately $50 to $100 - generally less than the cost of home health services or nursing home care in the same geographical area. A basic Assisted Living fee may cover all services or there may be additional charges for special services. Most Assisted Living residences require long-term arrangements.
Residents or their families generally pay the cost of care from their own financial resources. Depending on the nature of an individual's health insurance program or long-term care insurance policy, costs may be reimbursed. In addition, some residences have their own financial assistance programs. Government payments for Assisted Living residences have been limited. Some state and local governments offer subsidies for rent or services for low income elders. Others may provide subsidies in the form of additional payment for those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. Some states also utilize Medicaid waiver programs to help pay assisted living services. Information provided by: Assisted Living Federation of America 10300 Eaton Place, Suite 400 Fairfax, Virginia 22030 703/691-8100 fax 703/691-8106 http://www.alfa.org/ |
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