Senior living

Last updated

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

Common forms

Based on the health and financial means of the individual, these may include living in a retirement community or an age-restricted community, independent senior living, or living in a nursing home or retirement home.

A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves; however, assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization opportunities are often provided. [1] Some of the characteristics typically are: the community must be age-restricted or age-qualified, [2] residents must be partially or fully retired, and the community offers shared services or amenities. [2]

An age-restricted community is a residential community, often gated, that typically limits 80% of the residency to individuals who are over a set age. The minimum age is frequently set at 55 years old, but it can vary. These communities are set up to accommodate older individuals who would like to live in an area without the perceived problems of having children around. [3] [4] In most cases a younger spouse or significant other is permitted to live in the community as long as one member meets the minimum age requirement. [5]

Age-qualified communities, also known as 55+ communities, active adult communities, lifestyle communities, or retirement communities, are often planned communities that offer homes and community features that are attractive to 55+ adults. These might include a clubhouse or lifestyle center with a good many activities, sometimes with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, exercise facilities, craft rooms, demonstration kitchens, and decks and patios for gathering. [6]

Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments in USA, 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. [7]

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. [8]

A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. The concept is sometimes called an old people's home, [9] old folks' home, or old age home, although old people's home can also refer to a nursing home. [10] Typically, each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building. This can include facilities for meals, gatherings, recreation activities, and some form of health or hospice care. [11] 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. [12]

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 require care that is hard to provide in a home setting. The nursing home staff attends to the patients' medical and other needs. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assisted living</span> Housing facility for people with disabilities

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 of old people

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.

An age-restricted community is a residential community, often gated, that legally discriminates on the basis of age to limit residency to a majority fraction of older individuals—typically 80% over a set age. The minimum age is frequently set at 55 years old, but it can vary.

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.

Gerontechnology, also called gerotechnology, is an inter- and multidisciplinary academic and professional field that combines fields in gerontology and technology. Sustainability of an aging society depends upon our effectiveness in creating technological environments, including assistive technology and inclusive design, for innovative and independent living and social participation of older adults in any state of health, comfort and safety. In short, gerontechnology concerns matching technological environments to health, housing, mobility, communication, leisure and work of older people. Gerontechnology is most frequently identified as a subset of HealthTech and is more commonly referred to as AgeTech in Europe and the United States. Research outcomes form the basis for designers, builders, engineers, manufacturers, and those in the health professions, to provide an optimum living environment for the widest range of ages.

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.

Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) are programs within the United States that provide comprehensive health services for individuals age 55 and over who are sufficiently frail to be categorized as "nursing home eligible" by their state's Medicaid program. The ultimate goal of PACE programs is to keep eligible older adults out of nursing homes and within their communities for as long as possible. Services include primary and specialty medical care, nursing, nutrition, social services, therapies, pharmaceuticals, day health center services, home care, health-related transportation, minor modification to the home to accommodate disabilities, and anything else the program determines is medically necessary to maximize a member's health. If you or a loved one are eligible for nursing home level care but prefer to continue living at home, a PACE program can provide expansive health care and social opportunities during the day while you retain the comfort and familiarity of your home outside of day hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerontological nursing</span> Specialty of nursing pertaining to older adults

Gerontological nursing is the specialty of nursing pertaining to older adults. Gerontological nurses work in collaboration with older adults, their families, and communities to support healthy aging, maximum functioning, and quality of life. The term gerontological nursing, which replaced the term geriatric nursing in the 1970s, is seen as being more consistent with the specialty's broader focus on health and wellness, in addition to illness.

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".

<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.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is a cabinet-level agency charged with providing aid to Pennsylvania's approximately three million individuals age 60 and older. Although the bureau operates some services directly, such as the Pharmaceutical Contact for the Elderly (PACE) prescription drug program, it generally serves as a clearinghouse of funding and information for county-level Area Agencies on Aging. The department was formed under the governorship of Milton Shapp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent senior living</span>

Independent senior living communities are housing designed for seniors 55 and older.

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.

Elder rights are the rights of older adults, who in various countries are not recognized as a constitutionally protected class, yet face discrimination across many aspects of society due to their age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT ageing</span> Issues and concerns of older LGBTQ people

LGBT ageing addresses issues and concerns related to the ageing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Older LGBT people are marginalised by: a) younger LGBT people, because of ageism; and b) by older age social networks because of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heteronormativity, heterosexism, prejudice and discrimination towards LGBT people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aged care in Australia</span>

Aged care in Australia, is the provision of services to meet the unique needs of older people in Australia. It includes both residential aged care as well as services provided in the home such as personal care, domestic assistance, home nursing, nutrition and meal preparation, respite services, continence management, mobility & dexterity assistance, transport, social support and the provision of equipment and aids.

References

  1. ↑ "Glossary of Terms". North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 Saisan, J.; Russell, D. (February 2012), Independent living for seniors: Understanding your choices in retirement facilities and homes, HelpGuide.org, archived from the original on 28 April 2012, retrieved 6 May 2012
  3. ↑ "The quiet life in a child-free village". BBC News. Scotland.
  4. ↑ "Second Home Buying: Glossary of Terms". PrivateCommunities.com. October 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  5. ↑ "Age Restricted Communities". Topretirements. July 2008. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  6. ↑ "55 Community Guide". Active Adult Communities - What and Why?. July 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  7. ↑ Joe Manning (Dec 21, 1998). "Aging Population's Needs Create Senior Housing Boom". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 11 February 2014.[ dead link ]
  8. ↑ "Senior Living: How To Make The Right Choice". The Daily Reporter. Aug 6, 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  9. ↑ "old people's home - Definition and pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  10. ↑ "old people's home - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online". Ldoceonline.com. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  11. ↑ Castle, N. G.; Ferguson, J. C. (2010). "What Is Nursing Home Quality and How Is It Measured?". The Gerontologist. 50 (4): 426–442. doi:10.1093/geront/gnq052. PMC   2915498 . PMID   20631035.
  12. ↑ "What is a Retirement Home?". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.