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Senior Living Referral Services
Find the right senior living community solution for you and your loved ones
Our Advantage
Benefits of Our Senior Living Referral Services
Supporting you and your loved ones
No-Cost Service
There’s never a charge for our senior living referral services – our fees are paid by the communities
Tailored Solution
We match our clients with the top senior living communities based on individual needs, budget, and geographical preference
Personalized Assistance
We organize individual tours of the matched senior living communities to determine the best option for you
Senior Community
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Understanding Your Senior Living Community Options
The many choices for senior housing can be overwhelming. As some older adults age, they experience relatively few health problems. In contrast, others require assistance with their care needs which is often dictated by health and safety concerns.
The information below will provide you with some of the more common options available in today’s senior housing market. For more information, contact your local Always Best Care office today to help you make an educated decision about the right senior living option for you or your loved one.
Assisted Living
What Is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a type of housing designed for people who need various levels of medical and personal care. Living spaces can be individual rooms, apartments, or shared quarters. Assisted living communities generally provide a home-like setting and are physically designed to promote the resident’s independence. Services are offered to assist residents with daily living. What “assisted living” means depends on both the state and provider in question. Variations in state regulatory definitions are significant and provider variables include everything from care provided to geographic location, organizational size, and structure.
Services Provided by Assisted Living Communities
Assisted living communities typically provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), coordination of services by outside health care providers, and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Assistance often includes the administration or supervision of medication, or personal care services. The services offered by assisted living communities vary from community to community. Services often include:
- One to three meals a day
- Monitoring of medication
- Personal care, including dressing and bathing
- Housekeeping and laundry
- 24-hour emergency care
- Some medical services
- Social and recreational activities
- Medical emergency response
- Visitation policy
Memory Care
What is Memory Care?
Memory care is a type of long-term care geared toward those living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of progressive-degenerative dementia. People who require a higher level of support than what is offered in assisted living, or who have advanced dementia that makes it unsafe to remain at home may find that memory care is their best long-term care option.
While nursing homes provide 24/7 skilled nursing care, memory care communities offer a safe, structured environment that’s specially designed to protect residents against wandering and self-harm. Memory care residents are generally free of any major health concerns aside from Alzheimer’s or dementia, but they can no longer safely live in their own homes.
Services Provided by Memory Care Communities
Each memory care community offers its own unique range of services. Some offer enhanced services including on-site physical, occupational and speech-language therapy, on-site physician’s services and escorts to local medical appointments. Most memory care communities offer the same services found in an assisted living setting such as:
- Some assistance with activities of daily living, including dressing, grooming and transferring
- Semi-private or private accommodations in an apartment-style suite
- Daily social and recreational activities, such as fitness classes, organized games, and escorted day trips
- A relatively low staff-to-resident ratio
- In-house medical alert systems
- Three daily meals served restaurant-style, plus snacks and beverages
- Housekeeping, personal laundry and linen services
Residential Care
What is Residential Care?
Residential care communities for the elderly, sometimes referred to as RCFE’s or board and care homes, are responsible for providing assisted living services to residents in a homelike and community setting, allowing them to maintain independence while continuing to receive nursing level of care as needed. Many residential care communities are designed for elderly people who do not need 24-hour nursing care but are unable to live independently. There are various residential care options available, depending on the needs of the individual.
Services Provided by Residential Care Communities
Aside from housing, residential care communities deliver care to senior residents along with assistance with daily living, activities, and general supervision as needed. Plans are custom-tailored to meet the needs of each individual and folded into the medical services provision of special care plans. Some of the ancillary services in a residential care community include, but are not limited to the following:
- Provision and oversight of personal and supportive services
- Assistance with self-administration of medication
- Bathing and grooming
- Provide three meals per day plus snacks
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Transportation or arrangement of transportation
- Activities
- Skilled nursing services as needed
Ready To Answer Your Questions
FAQs About Our Senior Care Services
What are the different types of communities available for seniors?
There are many choices for seniors to consider when it comes to finding a community that will best fit their needs.
Independent living communities are for adults, generally ages 55 and older, who don’t need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), but are looking for a living environment that offers additional support, onsite amenities and socializing opportunities and activities.
A continuing care retirement community (CCRCs) offers multiple options along the continuum of senior living housing and healthcare spectrum. Many CCRCs offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care all on one campus. If care needs change, residents can transition within the community to the proper care setting. In most cases, in-home care is also provided.
Assisted living is a type of housing designed for people who need various levels of medical and personal care. Living spaces can be individual rooms, apartments, or shared quarters.
Residential care communities for the elderly, sometimes referred to as board and care homes, are responsible for providing assisted living services to residents in a homelike and community setting, allowing them to maintain independence while continuing to receive nursing level of care as needed.
Memory care is a type of long-term care geared toward those living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of progressive-degenerative dementia.
Nursing homes are senior living facilities that offer a high level of medical care. Like assisted living facilities, nursing homes have numerous amenities and help with basic activities. However, they also provide medication management and 24-hour supervision, leading to a more clinical environment as well as the highest level of care for individuals who don’t require hospitalization.
How does Always Best Care help me in my search to find a senior living community?
Always Best Care representatives can help match each client’s physical, emotional, and financial needs with the amenities and services of the local communities in your area. This is based on the use of comparative data that can help you determine the best option for you or your loved one.
How are Always Best Care’s fees paid?
Always Best Care works closely with the senior living communities in your area to gain extensive knowledge that is used to help seniors and their loved ones make an informed decision about the best option for them. This includes basic rent and care charges, services provided, and availability. Because Always Best Care is compensated by the communities, we provide senior living referral services that are provided at no charge to the client.
Can my spouse live with me in the community?
The transition into a senior living community can be a daunting task. Your spouse can play a huge role in your well-being. In many cases, especially assisted and independent living, spouses are certainly welcome to join their loved one. If this is something you are considering, it will be important to ask the community you are considering if your spouse is welcome to join you. Also, be sure to ask how costs are allocated for your spouse.
When is the right time to move into a senior community?
Moving into a senior community is based on when and how you and your family want to transition. While some seniors are more proactive in moving into independent living, others choose to remain home until they have care needs or other requirements that make moving into a senior living community the right decision.