In past issues, we’ve examined different aspects of retirement living and the issues we may face when helping to decide what might be best for a loved one—in particular, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), which offers several levels of retirement living, all in one place.

People appropriate for the initial level of a CCRC are able to care for themselves and act independently; they’re simply seeking the security and community atmosphere. The next level of a CCRC is assisted living, which is the most recent addition to the continuum of care. Most assisted living facilities consist of apartments with common areas where meals and activities take place. Many people liken them to a college dorm, although they’re generally much nicer than most dorms I’ve seen.

The more options you have, the harder it is to determine which choice is the right one. A good CCRC will have someone to help you determine the level of service appropriate for your loved one, but it’s good to have a general guideline yourself. The difference between assisted living and independent living is that with assisted living, the resident would have assistance with certain activities of daily living. The difference between assisted living and a nursing home is that the assistance provided in an assisted living facility is non-medical—they can remind someone to take medication but not administer the medication, for example.

What does that mean for your loved one? If you’re thinking you have someone appropriate for assisted living, here are examples of the help they might get: 24-hour non-nursing staff; meals; activities; housekeeping; laundry assistance; medication reminders; assistance with dressing tasks; supervision with self-managed continence schedule; assistance with incontinence care; and assistance with morning and evening care, including showering.

Each facility is different, but most have different levels of assistance, depending on the needs of your loved one, and prices differ based on that level. Another benefit, aside from being staffed 24 hours a day, is that because a CCRC includes higher levels of care, there are skilled health care workers on staff nearby. It’s often the case that there are emergency pull-cords in each room of the villa or apartment, making help only moments away in the case of an emergency.

Many assisted living facilities have a nurse scheduled several days per month to be available for wellness checks and to answer any questions a resident may have. The most important thing to remember is to ask a lot of questions; at times, things may seem overwhelming, but it’s important to keep in mind that when looking into retirement living, you aren’t simply looking for the biggest bargain. This is an important step, and you want to ensure it feels like home.

Talk to the staff, and see if you’re comfortable with the assisted living director and activities staff; these people are going to be the ones you count on when you need something and to provide entertainment. Even if you’re in excellent shape, find out about the other levels of care and what will be available to you should you need more daily assistance. TPW