First there are two topics here.
Independent living is like living on your own. With exceptions. You have no yard work. There are a few meals a day offered in the dining room. There is housekeeping offered once a week in many. There is entertainment, transportation on certain days within a certain radius, you have comradery outside your door, there are activities and outings planned. You have your apartment with the above offered. If you need extra help, you hire it like you would do at home and pay for it. There are no care staff at all, it is not its purpose.
Assisted living is not a medical facility. It gives you what independent living gives you with additional assistance. Assisted living has Certified Nursing Assistants and Nurses on staff to help residents with their activities of daily living as well as medication management. They are there to assist with things like bathing, dressing, getting to the dining room, taking meds. There is housekeeping offered once a week and linen change. They also pay attention to changes in the health of residents and will encourage doctors appointments or hospitalization as needed. They are not there to do your medical care such as having an in house doctor, though all assistive living communities have a doctor that may come in an see residents or provide consultation or oversight. Assisted living is governed by Florida statutes and are limited in the breadth and scope of medical intervention they can provide, such as wound care limitations, certain types of transfers, and high levels of medical care.
If you are in need of heavy medical care, than sadly the nursing home level is where you need to go, and there is nothing great to be said about any of them in the area. Or anywhere really. They are a far cry from assisted living and are there to treat you like a patient, not a resident.
As a former Assisted Living Administrator, I understand people are confused around levels of care. If you have 150 residents, you provide medical transportation on certain days within a certain radius, and encourage residents to make their appointments on those days. There are other residents who want a day for shopping, or outings. Assisted living is assisted, not full care. And yes it is outrageously expensive. I wish I had sold long term care insurance for a living because I recommend it to everyone.
Last, please as I say every time I respond to these discussions, look beyond the chandelier and foyer when you walk in, do not get sucked in by the attractive marketing people (male and female)...do your own due diligence, read State surveys of the facility, talk to residents and their families, and eat a whole lot of meals there before you decide to choose. And do not pay the move in fees or negotiate them down, or be sure you can get it back if you are not happy after 90 days.
|