Retirement homes can seem bleak, but there are many options available. If you’re a senior looking for a home or you’re looking for a senior you love, a great option to explore is an assisted living unit in a retirement village. It combines the independence craved by many seniors, but also provides key services that improve the quality of life for seniors. The assisted living units are regulated by state and territory legislation, so you can be sure you are receiving great care in a supportive environment. The fees vary between assisted living options depending on location, additional services and other commercial factors. Keep in mind your budget when you are looking for assisted living homes near Oceanside as there are varying facilities that can meet all budgets.
What is a Retirement Village?
Retirement villages are communities that provide a haven for independent older people that need less care than a residential aged care service. As with any phase of our lives, becoming a senior or retiring comes with its own unique challenges and benefits. A retirement village can offer a community specifically planned and designed to meet these challenges and build on the benefits to provide the opportunity for seniors to have fulfilling golden years. The same legislation that oversees the quality of assisted living units also applies to retirement villages, ensuring that seniors are protected. The legislation can give you peace of mind when choosing to move from your home into an assisted living facility.
What is an Assisted Living Unit?
Some units in retirement villages are designated as “assisted living units” or “serviced apartments”. Unlike independent living units or self-care units, the assisted living units provide a higher level of care to ensure your comfort or the comfort of a senior you love. The catalogue of personal services can be tailored to the specific need of each senior so that the experience is personalized and meets the unique needs of each senior. Each facility would have its own catalogue of available services and the cost would depend on the types and frequency of services you contract, but all the details would be outlined in your contract. Make sure you have a list of your non-negotiables when you are looking for an assisted living homes near Oceanside so that you know all your needs will be met when you sign a contract.
Some of these services may include:
Daily meals provided in a common dining area
Meals delivered to your room
Support and assistance with daily living activities (dressing, washing, brushing teeth, using the bathroom, etc.)
Housekeeping or cleaning unit
24/7 security
Emergency call systems
Transportation to medical appointments
Transportation to community and/or entertainment venues
Management of medication and other therapy
Social and recreational activities for residents
Though the costs of an assisted living unit are not subsidized by the government, seniors are able to use some at-home care services which are subsidized by the government while they live in these units. Despite the cost, utilizing these services can create a large impact on the quality of life enjoyed by you or the senior you live. Balancing these emotional considerations with your available financial resources can be tricky, but resources and community partners such as retirement and financial planners are available to help create a long term plan.
The style of the unit can take the form of a single room to a full apartment based on the needs, desires, and financial limitations of the senior in question. A senior can also get a room in a home with other seniors. The unit would be managed by the retirement village or a ‘property manager’, leaving the senior free to enjoy their golden years.
Will an Assisted Living Unit suit me?
An assisted living unit combines the benefits of independent living at a retirement village or at home with the additional care services common in care facilities to improve a senior’s quality of life without robbing them of autonomy. It can be empowering for you or the senior you love to maintain as much independence as possible for as long into the golden years as health allows. If you don’t require constant medical care or supervision but would benefit from extra attention and care, an assisted living facility might be the ideal choice.
On the other hand, if the senior is still quite independent and happy with at-home care services, they might not immediately recognize the benefits of an assisted living unit. Along with the personal care services, such units and retirement villages offer the social and entertainment opportunities that are not available at home. They also offer extra safety and security for the unforeseeable and unpredictable challenges that come with this phase of a person’s life while maintaining the independence and privacy we all value. This type of arrangement can free the senior to enjoy the activities that they love and live out the rest of their years in happiness.
Assisted living homes near Oceanside can benefit the entire family by reducing the care family members need to provide. Being a caregiver to an elderly family member can change the dynamic between family members and cause undue stress. When these responsibilities can be handled by professionals, family members can spend more time nurturing their relationships with the senior. Family members can focus on spending time with the senior and creating loving memories instead of providing medical or personal care.