Senior Community
The term “senior community” is a catch-all phrase that describes any community of elderly adults who live together in a single apartment building or multi-housing residential development.
However, there are several different types of senior communities that span the range of providing minimal to maximum assistive services and care to seniors in need of support.
Independent Living
The senior community with the least amount of care provided is known as independent living. This type of senior living is for adults age 55 and up who enjoy having social and physical services close by.
Monthly fees are usually less than owning a private home and typically include the following services:
- Three meals a day
- Home maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Private transportation
- Social activities
The advantage of independent living is that seniors retain their independence while living with other like-minded adults who are committed to living life to its fullest. Actively participating in a senior community is a great way to forge new friendships that can last well into a senior’s final years.
Assisted Living
Assisted living homes bridge the gap between the minimal care provided at an independent senior community and the intensive medical care offered in a traditional nursing home. Seniors who live an assisted living community need help managing basic activities of daily living such as:
Preparing meals- Bathing
- Dressing
- Taking medications
- Laundry
Assisted living differs from a traditional nursing home as it is not for seniors with serious chronic conditions which require specialized medical care.
Residents of assisted living homes may need a basic level of supervision or care but are otherwise free of serious mental or physical issues and are largely independent.
Assisted living costs are determined by the level of services needed and the location of the home. Assisted living offers the same social advantages as an independent senior community while also providing an added level of care.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities, offer the highest level of care that a senior community provides, caring for seniors who can no longer take care of themselves and are suffering from severe mental or physical conditions. Common reasons for needing a nursing home are:
- Alzheimer’s/Dementia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Stroke
- Broken bones from falling
- Terminal illness
Nursing homes provide seniors with intensive long-term medical care in a fully staffed, monitored facility. Skilled nursing care is very expensive and while Medicare will almost always cover short-term stays for rehabilitation after a hospital visit, long-term care will require an alternative, usually private, payment.
Nurses and doctors on staff and a high level of care are the main advantages of a nursing home. However, such personalized and intensive care results in a high cost for seniors and their families.
Find a Senior Community
A senior community can offer varying levels of care and allow seniors to keep up their independence by tailoring the level of care to their own personal needs. As senior care improves and a larger percentage of America’s population is over 65, more and more people will be requiring some level of senior services.
Browse our comprehensive directory to find independent living, assisted living and nursing homes near you.
Written by senior housing writing staff.
