Blog

The Difference Between Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities in Boca Raton

One question that is often asked when people are exploring elder care option is, “What’s the difference between a nursing home and an assisted living facility?” The truth is there is a huge difference, and it’s a good idea to educate yourself on those differences before making a decision on which elder care option is right for you or a loved one.

The biggest difference between these two options is the level of care. Most assisted living facilities require that the senior be able to mostly take care of themselves. They may need some assistance with mobility, daily chores, or help with their medication, but, by and large, they can take care of themselves. Nursing homes are for seniors who are unable to care for themselves. They might need help with personal care or require extensive medical intervention.

Which option you choose will depend on how much help you or your loved one require during the day, or are likely to require in the immediate future. If you aren’t sure, working with a professional placement agency such as Senior Living Placement can help you make an informed decision that’s good for all parties involved.

You can learn more about nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Boca Raton on our website. If you’d like to take advantage of our free placement services, you can call our team at 800-652-0468 or contact us through our website today. We’d be happy to help you find either nursing homes or assisted living facilities for you or your loved one in Florida.

Activities Offered by Assisted Living Facilities in the Boca Raton Area

One of the things that draw many seniors to independent living facilities in the Boca Raton area is the plethora of activities that are offered. While activity options will vary from facility to facility, there is always something interesting going on. Plus, you can choose your level of participation. Maybe you want to get involved in a variety of activities and clubs, or perhaps you’d be happier attending just one or two events a month. How much and how often you participate is completely up to you, but these activities are a great way to stay active and meet new friends in your later years.

Take a look at some of the activities commonly found at independent living facilities:

  • Cultural excursions. It might be a local art gallery, to a dance concert, or out for a night at the symphony. Cultural excursions are a great way to broaden your appreciation for the arts, learn something new, and meet other seniors with similar interests.
  • Classes and workshops. Want to learn how to use Facebook? Teach others to crochet? Or sharpen your writing skills? Classes and workshops are popular events at independent living facilities, and they are often free to residents. Learning new skills or teaching others is a wonderful way to keep the mind sharp as you age.
  • Fitness classes. Want to keep the weight off or get some more doctor-recommended cardio exercise? Your assisted living facility probably offers a class to meet your needs. These classes are terrific because they are tailored to the needs of seniors and give you a chance to workout in a fun, safe environment.
  • Intergenerational programs. More and more assisted living facilities are seeing the benefits of bringing children into the facility, either by providing activities led by seniors for children or by sponsoring Scout troops or other clubs. This is especially great for seniors who may not have a lot of family nearby.
  • Clubs. Join the book club to discuss the latest bestsellers, the gardening club to keep the grounds looking their best, or a dinner club to show off your cooking skills. There are plenty of privately led clubs at independent living facilities, and if you can’t find one that you like you can always start one yourself!

While many places still offer the classic Bingo night, it’s likely to be on the schedule with Karaoke and Swing Dancing nights as well. Independent living facilities are vibrant, active places where residents can plug into a group that suits their needs and gives them plenty to do. If you think moving into an independent living facility is the end of your fun and independence, just visit one of these facilities and see how happy, active, and engaged the local residents are. You might change your mind about these facilities and decide they are right for you!

If you would like to learn more about independent living facilities in the Boca Raton area, give us a call at 800-652-0468. We can match you with facilities in your area that you might enjoy. We even provide placement assistance for free!

Why an Independent Senior Living Facility Can be Better Than Home

Many seniors feel that aging in place is the best option for them. This allows them to stay in their home, in a place that is comfortable and familiar to them. For some seniors, this may actually be the best option, but it might not be right for everyone. Another option that many seniors in Florida are choosing is moving to an independent senior living facility. These facilities offer fully-equipped private apartments where seniors are free to come and go as they choose, keeping the same lifestyle that they enjoyed at home. So what makes this option a better one than aging in place at home?

  • It’s social. One of the biggest challenges that many seniors face is loneliness. Their family members are busy with activities of their own, their friends may have passed away or they may be unable to visit as often, and they may find it difficult to meet new friends. This issue is largely eliminated at an independent senior living facility. These facilities often arrange social outings and events that encourage friendships, and your loved one will be surrounded by people their age who are able to get out and enjoy activities with them.
  • Help is there when they need it. Seniors who move into an independent living facility are largely unaffected by medical issues. However, as they get older this may change. Many of these facilities offer services on an as needed basis, giving your loved one the care that they need when they need it. They may have assisted living facilities on site, as well, which can make the transition to a managed-care environment easier in the future.
  • Many services are included. One of the nicest benefits of independent living communities are the benefits that are included. Services will vary from facility to facility, so you’ll need to do your research. However, many facilities offer services such as meal plans, transportation to shopping or doctor’s appointments, activity nights, outings, and more. This is a great way to take some of the burden off of your loved one (and yourself) while they remain independent.

There are hundreds of senior independent living communities in Florida and each one is a little bit different. When you begin researching these facilities, you’ll want to gather information such as how much the monthly cost will be (including all fees), what services are included, and the amenities available on-site. You’ll also want to tour the apartments to make sure they are suitable to your loved one.

Finding the right senior living option for yourself or a loved one is a big job. There are so many facilities to choose from and you’ll want to find one that has a great reputation and offers the best options. Senior Living Placement knows which facilities offer the best options! Give us a call today at 800-652-0468 and speak with one of our placement experts. Our service is free to you and can help make the transition much easier for everyone involved. We’ll show you some of the best independent living facilities available with the amenities that you want within your budget!

Services Offered by Memory Care Agencies in Florida

memory careThe World Health Organization estimates that there are 7.7 million new cases of dementia every year. Alzheimer is just one kind of dementia; there are numerous other causes that could be affecting the memory. And while this sad and scary issue isn’t exclusively one for seniors, it does tend to affect seniors more than any other age group. If you or a loved one are struggling with dementia and require care outside of the home, memory care agencies may be the right place for them.

The main difference between memory care and other elder care options is the level of surveillance and care. Memory care facilities offer 24-hour surveillance to stop patients from wandering away from the facility. They are staffed by teams who understand memory issues and dementia and who know how to treat and care for people struggling with these issues. It gives your loved one a safe, secure place to live and many facilities offer activities tailored to those with dementia symptoms.

Want to learn more about memory care facilities? Senior Living Placement can help. We’ve worked with patients from all over Florida find memory care for their loved ones. We will find the facility that is a good match for your loved one based on their needs, personality, and preferred location. You can trust us to find a place that offers the highest level of care possible. Give us a call at 800-652-0468 or contact us through our website to get in touch with one of our experienced placement specialists. Our service is free and can be the perfect way to find the memory care your loved one needs.

Discover the Pros and Cons of Home Health Care in Boca Raton

Home health care is one of the fastest growing elder-care methods in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2014 there were over 12,000 home health care agencies in the United States and that number is increasing rapidly. If you or a loved one wants to explore the home health care option, be sure to educate yourself on the benefits and drawbacks of this elder care solution:

The Pros of Home Health Care

  • Seniors are able to maintain as much independence as possible. Home health care is tailored based on the client’s needs, giving them a chance to do for themselves as much or as little as they feel capable of doing.
  • Seniors can stay in their own homes. Many seniors want this option because it allows them to stay in the home that they know and love. There is even evidence that this can benefit seniors in the long run as they aren’t exposed to foreign germs that they would be in a nursing home or other facility. Additionally, it lowers the amount of stress and depression a senior client experiences when they can stay in the environment that they know.
  • It can be cheaper than other care methods. Depending on the kind of care that your loved one needs and how often they need that care, home health care could actually end up being the less expensive option. It’s important to price out these services and verify what amount, if any, that your insurance or Medicaid plan will cover.

The Cons of Home Health Care

  • It may not last forever. Home health care can provide extensive medical care for a senior, including overnights and 24-hour care. However, not all services will provide these options. If your loved one’s condition gets worse, you may have to move them into a facility.
  • It can make a later move harder. Once seniors feel that they are able to care for themselves with just a little additional help at home, they may find it difficult to make a move later on if it become necessary. Letting them know that the arrangement will need to be re-evaluated periodically may help prepare them for the change.
  • It could be a more expensive option. Check your quotes carefully; you’ll want to compare both the price as well as they services that they offer. You don’t want to choose home health care because it’s less expensive and then discover that you have to pay more for the actual services that you need.

Weigh the pros and cons of home health care carefully when choosing the elder care option that’s right for you and your loved ones. If you need help finding the option that’s right for you, whether that’s home health care or something else entirely, Senior Living Placement can help. We offer free placement services and help from experienced, compassionate team members dedicated to helping you find the agency that’s right for you. Call us today at 800-652-0468 or contact us through our website today.

Assisted Living Touring Tips Part 5

Over the last several weeks, we have talked about some of the most important things that you should look into when it comes to deciding on an assisted living facility to take your loved one too. Today, we have a couple of more things to keep in mind when you pay the facility a visit with Senior Living Placement.

Move outs

Before you move in, make sure you know as much as possible about their move out criteria. Find out what circumstances would have to come about before they asked a resident to move out. You also should ask about the move out policies they have. Does your loved one or their caregiver have to give any kind of notice before they can move out? Most residences have a 30-day policy but you don’t want to have find out the hard way that your assisted living community is different

Trust your gut

The most important thing to keep in mind while you are touring assisted living facilities is that this is not for you. This is for someone that you love and care about and you need to do what is best for them and not yourself. Can you see your loved one being happy in a particular facility? Are the staff and other residents open and inviting to new people? If you don’t get a good vibe from the community, then you should trust your instincts. There is probably something off about the facility that you cannot pinpoint.

There you have it. That is all that we have in the way of tips for when you go touring assisted living facilities. Make sure that you write all of your questions down to take with you so that you don’t forget. We hope to hear from you soon to schedule an appointment to take a tour.

Visiting Assisted Living Facilities Part 4

In the last few blogs, we talked a lot about some of the questions you need to ask when you are visiting a potential assisted living facility and what you should take a careful look at while you are there. We believe that the tips will be very helpful for anyone who is trying to decide what facility is best for their loved one. We want to help everyone we can so we have even more tips to use the next time you go on a tour. And remember, Senior Living Placement can help you by visiting the assisted living facility with you.

Personal Care

Personal care should be very important to the assisted living facility you choose and its staff. Do they have a regular bathing schedule for those residents who cannot bathe themselves? Is their hair, nails and beards taken care of as well or will they need to go see a hairdresser occasionally? You want to know if your loved one will be treated with dignity and respect while they are living there. One of the best ways to find out if the staff is respectful is to observe and talk with the other residents.

Feedback

Speaking of talking to the residents; if you want to know the truth about the facility, ask its residents. They will tell you how their life is living at the facility and how they are treated. They can tell you what they like and what they don’t like, how the staff treats them and even how often their loved ones come to visit. You can even go online and find reviews of the assisted living facility to see candid reactions.

We have just a few more tips to take into consideration when you are deciding on what assisted living facility to place your loved one in. Check back next week!

Even More Tips When Visiting Assisted Living Facilities

In the last couple of blogs, we talked about some of the things to look for when you are interested in an assisted living facility for your loved one. There are lots of things that you can do while on a tour that many people don’t think about asking for. There are also many questions that you should ask the facility while you are there. In this blog, we thought that we should continue giving you some tips and questions that you should ask while at different assisted living facilities.

Food

When you are visiting an assisted living facility, you may want to check out the food. Sit down and have a meal with the other residents. This will give you an idea as to what your loved one will be eating on a regular basis. It will also give you an idea at how the dining area operates. While sitting with the other residents, you can also talk with them and see how they enjoy the food and the facility itself.

Security and safety

When you are ready to leave your loved one in the capable hands of an assisted living facility, you want to make sure that they are going to be safe and secure after you leave.  How accessible are the bathrooms? Are they going to be safe in case of an emergency? Also, you should ask about any specific needs your loved one will need after you leave.

We are not done yet! Senior Living Placement wants you to be completely prepared when you go into the next potential home for your loved one. Make sure to check back for our next blog.

More Tips When Touring Assisted Living Facilities

Many people don’t know what questions to ask while they are visiting assisted living facilities. Even if you are touring a facility with a professional from Senior Living Placement, some important questions might get missed. In our last blog, we talked about some of the important questions to ask when you go to your top choices but there are so many that we thought that we would give you some more tips for when you are visiting an assisted living facility.

Staff

When you are at the assisted living facility, you will want to pay attention to the staff. Notice how attentive they are being to the residents as well as how friendly they are.  Staff attitude is a good indicator whether they enjoy their jobs or not. You can also tell if they are nice to the residents with how they interact with them. It is also a good idea to become friendly with the management team so that they can explain company goals and policies.

Outdoors

When you are touring an assisted living facility it is important to take a tour of the grounds as well. You will want to make sure that the area is safe enough for your loved one to go outside and enjoy themselves. Are there activities that the residents can do outside on nice days? Not everyone likes to be inside all of the time. If your loved one is healthy enough for outdoor activities, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to.

We are nowhere near being done with giving you tips on what to look for when you are touring your local assisted living facility with Senior Living Placement. Be sure to check out future blogs!