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More than a million
Americans live in an assisted living residence, according to the
Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), and those numbers
are certain to increase as Baby Boomers age. Residents of assisted
living facilities come from all walks and ages of life. They can
be young, old, rich or of low income, frail or disabled.
The typical resident, according to ALFA, is a woman in her 80s,
who is either widowed or single. Assisted living residences are
a housing and health care alternative that seeks to provide independence
with personal care, in a dignified and communal setting. It is a
good solution for many who find that, as they age, the daily chores
and tasks of life are just becoming more and more difficult to accomplish
without additional assistance.
Many seniors, struggling to live alone, improve once they move into
assisted living facility, according to the medical experts. They
are able to live independently with less effort, have access to
regular and nutritious meals, and can enjoy exercise programs and
social activities with people their age. If needed, there is also
access to assistance with bathing, dressing and managing medications
through these facilities.
Geriatric experts recommend that the search for the perfect facility
should be undertaken sooner, rather than later. Even within the
same county or community, different facilities may offer different
services. They can range from high-rise complexes to a converted
Victorian home. They may be operated as a non-profit organization,
or for-profit. The average facility, according to ALFA, has from
25 to 120 units.
Regulations for these facilities will vary from state to state,
but all residences must comply with local building codes and fire
regulations. Services in these assisted living facilities will most
likely include three meals a day served in a common dining hall,
housekeeping services, transportation, assistance with eating, bathing,
dressing, toileting and walking, access to medical and health services,
24-hour security, emergency call systems for each resident, health
promotion and exercise programs, medication management, personal
laundry services and social and recreational activities.
Costs can vary, depending on room size, types of services needed
by residents, and the residence, according to ALFA. Residents or
their families usually pay for the cost of the care from personal
funds, or it may be covered by long-term care insurance or by an
individual’s health insurance program, depending on the nature
of the individual’s situation and health insurance program
itself. According to ALFA, government payments for assisted living
residents has been limited. Unlike nursing homes, assisted living
facilities do not accept Medicare to pay for personal care services,
such as bathing. For a better understanding of services that qualify
for coverage, contact Medicare at (800) 633-4227, or check out their
Web site at www.medicare.gov.
If you’re starting a search for an assisted living facility,
you should first decide exactly what you are looking for, and what
your budget can afford. Is the potential resident wheelchair-bound,
suffering from memory loss, or have special needs? The answers to
these questions will narrow your search. ALFA also recommends that
if you are conducting a search for a person who is not able to visit
the facility themselves, you should try to include them in the decision-making
process as much as possible, to assure greater satisfaction.
You can also start your search by contacting the U.S. Administration
on Aging, at (800) 677-1116 for help in finding facilities in your
area. Locally, the area agency on aging may be of assistance, and
the number can be found in the telephone directory. ALFA, as a service
to consumer’s, offers a checklist of things to look for in
an assisted living facility, and the checklist is available at their
Web site, www.alfa.org.
- For additional information about
selecting an assisted living community, contact one of these Merrill
Gardens
locations:
North Bay: 2261 Tuolumne, Vallejo, CA, 94589; (707) 552-3336.
Vallejo: 350 Locust Drive, Vallejo, CA, 94591; (707) 553-2698.
Vacaville: 799 Yellowstone Drive, Vacaville, CA, 95687;
(707) 447-7496.
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Merrill
Gardens
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