Independent Living vs. Assisted Living

Independent Living vs. Assisted Living

It can be quite a tasking experience when finding a living arrangement for a senior loved one. This is particularly true for people who aren’t familiar with senior living options.

To make the most ideal choice, one has to understand the types of care and housing available and the major differences between them.

Independent living gives the most freedom among the elder care options. While assisted living is almost as free, as the name says, it offers support services. This article will look at the differences between these options for senior living.

Living Spaces

Independent living has a host of housing arrangements (housing co-ops, apartment-style communities, etc.). Normally, residents will live in private dwelling spaces, but they will be able to access common areas where other community members will be available to communicate with.

Since this option is meant for seniors still able to live independently, the amenities and features in the dwelling areas can be likened to those of a typical home or apartment.

As for assisted living, the standard living arrangement is actually apartment-style. Some of the individual units may even have a complete kitchen.

However, there are assisted living communities meant for seniors dealing with cognitive impairment and these specialized care units have increased security measures. Assisted living Buffalo Grove is a perfect example of this. This type of arrangement will likely not allow the apartments to have kitchen utensils or appliances for safety reasons.

Amenities and Care Services

The aim of independent living facilities is to ensure that the day-to-day lives of their residents are easier, ensuring that they can live independently for a long time.

The services that independent living offers are meant to minimize the daily responsibilities of seniors. Laundry, housekeeping, landscaping, security surveillance, onsite dining facilities and other organized activities are the regular offerings that individual living provides. However, this setting doesn’t have full-time workers that will provide medical or custodial care.

On the other hand, assisted living is aimed at helping seniors who require assistance with things like bathing, dressing, laundry and medications.

The staff members will include a minimum of one medical professional and are usually on call for 24 hours. However, it has to be pointed out that assisted living doesn’t offer major hands-on care for seniors with serious physical or mental ailments.

Support

Seniors in assisted living facilities require some level of support. This could involve regular check-ins from staff or assistance with grooming and bathing. In a lot of cases, seniors in assisted living facilities have progressive health issues like dementia or Parkinson’s. They may end up needing extensive care – that’s why most of these living facilities offer transition options.

Seniors living in independent living communities don’t get daily assistance or support from caregivers, meaning independent living communities don’t usually have a designated amount of support.

However, seniors here enjoy a lifestyle that is virtually maintenance-free majorly due to the staff taking care of housekeeping, laundry services, security surveillance, lawn maintenance and a host of other amenities and services in the community.

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