What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a special combination of housing and personalized supportive services, designed to respond to an individual's needs. The needs can range from socialization to activities of daily living to medication administration or special diets. Assisted living combines care with dignity in a residential, home-like setting. There are many different models of assisted living in Ohio.
Meals, housekeeping services, laundry, transportation, maintenance, activities, 24-hour staff availability and security are provided in most assisted living residences. These services have always been available in retirement communities. What is new and different about assisted living is the addition of personal care and some nursing services. Residences offer assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, walking, grooming and personal hygiene. Certain skilled care needs such as medication administration, special diets and dressing changes can be met in the assisted living environment as long as necessary. Other skilled needs that are determined to be routine by a resident’s physician can be met as well. Some skilled cares are prohibited by regulation or their 24 hour nature and others are limited to 120 days.
What individual assisted living residences offer will depend on their staff and environment. Individuals need to visit and assess communities to see if the communities' program meets their needs. The cost of assisted living residences varies depending on the level of supportive services required by an individual and the size of the apartment leased and its geographic location in the State. Generally, communities offer monthly rental fees signing individual lease and service agreements.
There are many needs that can be met in the assisted living environment. Victims of strokes, heart attacks, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, incontinence, Alzheimer's disease and many other impairments can receive the help and assistance they need to remain as independent as possible in assisted living communities. Many assisted living residences also offer respite stays. These are short-term stays designed to accommodate recovery from surgery or periods of rehabilitation or family caregiver breaks. Although assisted living residences vary, there are common themes in their diversity. They combine "home" and a social setting and offer care and security. They nurture the spirit, treating residents with dignity and respect maintaining their individuality and privacy while promoting their independence.
- Jean Thompson, Executive Director
Ohio Assisted Living Association