Independent senior living

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Retirement homes are common examples of independent senior living communities, such as this one in Putney, London Kingsmere Retirement Home Putney.jpg
Retirement homes are common examples of independent senior living communities, such as this one in Putney, London

Independent senior living communities (also known as retirement communities, senior living communities or independent retirement communities) are housing designed for seniors 55 and older.

Contents

Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments, but some also offer cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Residents include seniors who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing, but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surroundings, and increased social opportunities that independent senior living communities offer. [1] These communities are also popular among snowbird seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home.

Many retirement communities offer dining services, basic housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments and errands, activities, social programs, and access to exercise equipment. Some also offer emergency alert systems, live-in managers, and amenities like pools, spas, clubhouses, and on-site beauty and barber salons. However independent senior living properties do not provide health care or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication, bathing, eating, dressing, toileting and more. Independent senior living differs from continuing care communities, which offer independent living along with multiple other levels of care, such as assisted living and skilled nursing, in one single residence. [2]

Independent senior living residents are permitted to use third-party home health care services to meet additional needs.

The total operational resident capacity for independent senior living communities in the United States in the year ... was 245,000. Holiday Retirement is the largest single provider of independent living with a resident capacity of 25,000 [3] at 240 retirement communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Types

Typical residents

A typical independent senior living community resident is a person 55 and older who is mentally and physically capable of living alone without skilled nursing or assistance with day-to-day activities. Some residents may need assistance with a few activities of daily living and can obtain third-party home health care services.

Seniors who may benefit from less home upkeep and increased access to nutritious meals, social interaction, physical and mental stimulation, and transportation make ideal independent senior living community residents.

Compared to assisted living

The most significant difference between assisted living and independent senior living is the care provided. Residents of assisted living facilities require assistance with daily activities like medication, eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting. Residents of a purpose-built independent senior living complex have taken an active decision to improve their quality of life by living in a secure, low maintenance home. Elderly people who have chosen to live in an assisted retirement complex will often require more care and support to improve their quality of life. There are around 50,000 private senior living developments in the UK alone, which is insufficient to meet the demand from an increasing number of retirees. It was predicted that by 2020, 19.3% of the UK population would be aged 65 or over, and a minimum of 35,000 new senior living development properties would need to be created to meet housing demands.

Independent senior living residents are able to live on their own with limited assistance (provided by third-party home health care providers if needed) and without around-the-clock supervision. Neither assisted living nor senior independent living communities offer 24/7 skilled nursing that is provided at nursing homes.

Cost

Independent senior living communities are the least expensive of the three primary senior living options. Monthly costs vary significantly by community type, size of apartment, location and services offered. The average total cost for a U.S. one bedroom independent senior living apartment is $2,750 per month.

In 2011, the average rate for a private bedroom at a U.S. nursing home was $239 per day, or nearly $7,270 per month. [5] The average rate for a private bedroom at an assisted living community was $3,477 per month. [5] Continuing care communities require an entrance fee that ranges from $20,000 to $500,000, in addition to monthly fees that range from $500 to $3,000 or more depending on services.

Related Research Articles

A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to indicate whether the institutions are public or private, and whether they provide mostly assisted living, or nursing care and emergency medical care. Nursing homes are used by people who do not need to be in a hospital, but cannot be cared for at home. The nursing home facility nurses have the responsibilities of caring for the patients' medical needs and also the responsibility of being in charge of other employees, depending on their ranks. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.

An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States. Still, the setting is similar to a retirement home, in the sense that facilities provide a group living environment and typically cater to an older adult population. There is also Caribbean assisted living, which offers a similar service in a resort-like environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retirement home</span> Housing facility for the elderly persons

A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home,old folks' home, or old age home, although old people's home can also refer to a nursing home – is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Typically, each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms with an en-suite bathroom. Additional facilities are provided within the building. This can include facilities for meals, gatherings, recreation activities, and some form of health or hospital care. A place in a retirement home can be paid for on a rental basis, like an apartment, or can be bought in perpetuity on the same basis as a condominium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elderly care</span> Care serving the needs and requirements of senior citizens

Elderly care, or simply eldercare, serves the needs of old adults. It encompasses assisted living, adult daycare, long-term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and home care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-term care</span> Services for the elderly or those with chronic illness or disability

Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long-term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retirement community</span> Town or housing complex for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves

A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves. Assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization opportunities are often provided. Some of the characteristics typically are: the community must be age-restricted or age-qualified, residents must be partially or fully retired, and the community offers shared services or amenities.

Residential care refers to long-term care given to adults or children who stay in a residential setting rather than in their own home or family home.

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations that represents more than 14,000 non-profit and for-profit nursing homes, assisted living communities, and facilities for individuals with disabilities. The organization's president and CEO is Mark Parkinson, a former governor of Kansas. The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) is a part of the AHCA.

A group home, congregate living facility, care home, adult family home, etc., is a structured and supervised residence model that provides assisted living and medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for children or young people who cannot live with their families or afford their own homes, people with chronic disabilities who may be adults or seniors, or people with dementia and related aged illnesses. Typically, there are no more than six residents, and there is at least one trained caregiver there 24 hours a day. In some early "model programs", a house manager, night manager, weekend activity coordinator, and four part-time skill teachers were reported. Originally, the term group home referred to homes of 8 to 16 individuals, which was a state-mandated size during deinstitutionalization. Residential nursing facilities, also included in this article, may be as large as 100 individuals in 2015, which is no longer the case in fields such as intellectual and developmental disabilities. Depending on the severity of the condition requiring one to need to live in a group home, some clients are able to attend day programs and most clients are able to live normal lifestyles.

Geriatric care management is the process of planning and coordinating care of the elderly and others with physical and/or mental impairments to meet their long term care needs, improve their quality of life, and maintain their independence for as long as possible. It entails working with persons of old age and their families in managing, rendering and referring various types of health and social care services. Geriatric care managers accomplish this by combining a working knowledge of health and psychology, human development, family dynamics, public and private resources as well as funding sources, while advocating for their clients throughout the continuum of care. For example, they may assist families of older adults and others with chronic needs such as those suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entertainment Community Fund</span> American charitable organization

The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, the Fund's programs include social services and emergency financial assistance, healthcare and insurance counseling, supportive and affordable housing, and employment and training services. The Fund owns and operates the Lillian Booth Actors Home, a skilled nursing and assisted living facility in Englewood, New Jersey.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines aging in place as "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level".

Garden Spot Village is a licensed, non-profit, faith-based continuing care retirement community in New Holland, Pennsylvania. The facility is operated by Garden Spot Communities, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and it provides residential and health-care services for adults ages 55 and above. It employs about 500 staff members, including hospitality, maintenance, administrative and skilled nursing staff.

A professional live-in caregiver provides personal care and assistance to individuals, including those suffering from chronic illness, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia, within the home setting. Typical duties of a live-in caregiver include meal planning and preparation, assistance with grooming, dressing and toileting, medication management, laundry and light housekeeping, and transportation/escorts to doctor’s appointments or social engagements. Professional live-in caregivers are often provided by an outside agency, which may also coordinate their services with the client’s preferred in-home health agency and other medical providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continuing care retirement communities in the United States</span>

A continuing care retirement community (CCRC), sometimes known as a life plan community, is a type of retirement community in the U.S. where a continuum of aging care needs—from independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care—can all be met within the community. These various levels of shelter and care may be housed on different floors or wings of a single high-rise building or in physically adjacent buildings, such as garden apartments, cottages, duplexes, mid- and low-rise buildings, or spread out in a campus setting. The emphasis of the CCRC model is to enable residents to avoid having to move, except to another level of care within the community, if their needs change.

Holiday Retirement, originally known as Holiday Management Company, is a U.S. senior living management company with headquarters in Winter Park, Florida. Founded in 1971 by William E. Colson and his father, Hugh Colson, Holiday Retirement is a privately held company that currently manages 240 retirement communities with over 25,000 total residents, making it one of the largest providers of independent senior living.

Los Angeles Jewish Home is a non-profit provider for senior healthcare services in Los Angeles, California. It is also commonly known as “the Jewish Home,” or simply “the Home.” Over the past century, the organisation has mainly focused on providing their healthcare services for the seniors throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

Erickson Senior Living is an owner, manager and developer of retirement communities in the United States. It provides independent living, assisted living, memory and skilled nursing care, managing 20 campus-style retirement communities in 11 states. Headquartered in Catonsville, Maryland, it employs 14,000 people for 24,000 residents as of 2017.

As of 2017, approximately 1.4 million Americans live in a nursing home, two-thirds of whom rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. Residential nursing facilities receive Medicaid federal funding and approvals through a state health department. These facilities may be overseen by various types of state agency.

Senior living is a concept that encompasses a range of housing and lifestyle options for ageing persons adapted to the challenges of health issues associated with ageing, such as limited mobility and susceptibility to illness.

References

  1. Joe Manning (Dec 21, 1998). "Aging Population's Needs Create Senior Housing Boom". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 11 February 2014.[ dead link ]
  2. "Senior Living: How To Make The Right Choice". The Daily Reporter. Aug 6, 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  3. "Assisted Living Executive to Senior Living Executive - March/April 2012". Alfapublications.org. 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  4. Senior Housing News on Co-Care
  5. 1 2 "Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs". Metlife.com. Retrieved 2013-03-12.

Further reading