Assisted Living at Senior Care Homes

According to a survey by AARP Public Policy Institute, the majority of older adults want to age in place. They want to continue living in their own homes or communities. But health problems and other care needs make it impractical and unsafe. That is where assisted living at care homes and senior living communities come into action. We at Two Hearts Homes for Seniors Assisted Living provide a personal living experience to our aging residents. But why choose residential assisted living over institutional assisted living communities? Let us find out.

What Are Residential Care Homes?

Residential care homes are typically normal homes in residential housing communities near housing townships. They are more like board and care homes with smaller resident capacity.

Two Hearts Homes for Seniors Assisted Living hosts a maximum of 16 residents. We have the best on-site skilled staff with a caregiver-to-resident ratio of 1:5. This ratio is even better than many board and care homes out there. The adult residents in these care homes receive 24 hour personal care and attention than those of the larger care facilities.

A tour of Two Hearts Homes for Seniors can be found by clicking this here.

What Are The Different Levels Of Care For Seniors?

Based on the requirements of personalized assistance, there are different levels of care. You need to analyze what level of care service you need before selecting any assisted living facilities. Let us understand some basic levels of care.

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Independent Living

Independent living care is for residents who need minimal assistance and supervision service. These residents can walk on their own, have no memory loss, and can make their preferences known. They may need some help while getting ready, showering, preparing meals, laundry, or other activities.

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Assisted Living

Assisted living is for aging adults who require more assistance and supervision from on-site caregivers. The seniors may need help in walking, cooking meals, medication management, bathing and grooming, laundry, and more of their daily activities.

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Memory Care

Many assisted living facilities and residential care homes feature memory care service as a higher level of care for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia. There are specific memory care assisted living facilities as well. The staff members are trained in dementia care to assist the aging residents in the facility.

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Nursing Care

Nursing homes are a good suit for adults who need frequent or regular medical care services. Nursing homes are equipped with skilled nursing facilities for adults who need frequent infusion, injections, or who are recovering from serious illnesses and injuries.

What’s The Difference Between A Senior Care Home Facility And A Residential Care Home?

Care home facilities and residential homes offer a similar level of care. However, the significant difference is in the size of the assisted living community.

Residential care homes are small assisted living communities with no more than 20 residents, while many senior living facilities can be as huge as hundreds of people. For shyer adults, residential assisted living facilities are a comfortable option.

Also, residential homes are located near community housing neighborhoods that help them live a normal life and even make friends in the locality.

Benefits and Advantages of Residential Care Homes

Residential care homes come with exclusive advantages thanks to the small size and care model like board and care homes. Some of the highlighting advantages are:

Independence and Autonomy

Location and Safety

Personal Attention

Family Involvement

Residential care homes offer independent living to a great extent to the residents while they receive the care they need. The relatively fewer activity programs scheduled by care homes provide the adults with the freedom to pursue their interests.

Residential care homes are typically converted single family residences. Hence they are typically located in residential housing neighborhoods. Many prefer a location like this as they have always lived in suburban or rural areas. Many residential care homes provide personal emergency alert devices to their residents. It provides an additional security feature and makes the lives of adult residents safer. Many families find residential care homes more secure and safe as caregivers are on-site 24 hour round the clock. The fewer number of residents ensures better personal care for each resident in the house. It also ensures the safety of the health and wellbeing of the residents.

The small size of these care homes leaves more than sufficient room for one-on-one interaction and attention. Though staff members are fewer concerning the large community facilities, the higher caregiver-to-resident ratio allows the caregivers to dedicate more time to your loved one. Enhanced personal care and attention leave no room for risks associated with health and wellness.

It is always a relief to know that your loved one is doing all fine. The families of residents typically have better direct access with the residential care home’s director or manager. It is because the care homes are hosting very small communities of seniors. A direct relationship with the upper management ensures peace of mind for the resident’s family members. Also, many care homes allow family members to visit during meal hours.

Senior Living Residential Care Homes Services and Amenities

Residential care homes are a good fit for seniors who don’t require regular medical care service but need assistance with their day-to-day activities. The exact services and amenities offered by care homes may vary from place to place. We offer private rooms and quality personal care to each resident in our care facility. The residents enjoy the personal care and attention of the caregivers 24 hour a day. We ensure a stress-free, relaxed assisted living experience for our residents by taking care of all their daily needs. Some common care services in the list are:

ZAssistance with the activities of daily living such as grooming, bathing, and dressing.
ZPersonalized meals with dietary limitations, typically cooked in-house.
ZOther group activities for entertainment and socializing

What is the best senior care?

When you search for assisted living facilities either for yourself or someone in your family, you would like to choose the best senior living care home for assisted living. However, the concept of ‘best’ is not universal but rather personalized.

So, you need to find the right care home for your loved one to be safe and secure. When you search for an adult care facility, prepare a list of your priority services and amenities. Search for a care facility that fulfills them all. Do you need a private room with an attached bathroom or do you look forward to having a companion to share your space with? Having a visit to the care homes is advised before making any move-in decisions. If a visit in person isn’t possible, a live virtual tour can be an option to understand how living there would feel like.

While touring the care homes, take note of some important things such as:

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Privacy and Room Accommodations

In large senior care homes, privacy may be a missing feature. But in the majority of residential facilities, the privacy of the seniors is a priority. Examine if the rooms are private, semi-private, or group rooms during your tour. Be sure of the privacy level offered by the senior home cares you are considering as options.

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Staff Interaction

How does the staff treat residents? Do they behave with respect and courtesy? Make sure you are finalizing a residential house where the staff members appear to enjoy their careers.

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Cleanliness and hygiene

Cleanliness and hygiene are a priority. Take note if the facility appears clean. Do the existing residents appear well-groomed and clean? Are the living area and accommodation rooms well maintained?

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Resident Interaction

The residents of an assisted living facility need to cooperate for a quality social life. A family like an environment is always appreciated. Take note if the residents get along and enjoy one another’s company.

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Bathrooms

Investigate if there are ample bathrooms for the resident capacity in the home. And also examine if they are well maintained.

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Surroundings and Security

Does the structure of the house offer ample outdoor space for recreation? Is there good lighting and clean furnishings? Does the surrounding make it a place where you would be comfortable living? One main reason to live in a residential facility is safety and security. So, it is one of the main elements to investigate in the tour. Does the home house a medical emergency alert system? Are the stairs easy and free of obstacles? Is there proper lighting and a security system to prevent unwanted visitors? Once you are sure that the senior care facility provides the services, amenities you require, you are ready to move in for an all new living experience.

Call us today to book a tour at Two Hearts Homes for Seniors Assisted Living.

How Residential Care Homes Compare to Other Assisted Living Facilities

Based on the requirements of personalized assistance, there are different levels of care. You need to analyze what level of care service you need before selecting any assisted living facilities. Let us understand some basic levels of care.

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Residential Care Homes vs. Memory Care

Some residential care homes offer additional care options like memory care services to help seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia. But, not all care homes come with services related to Alzheimer’s and dementia. On the other hand, memory care communities are specifically dedicated to caring for seniors with cognitive impairments like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

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Residential Care Home vs. Nursing Home

Nursing homes provide the highest level of care services for seniors. They focus on skilled nursing and medical care services. On the other hand, assisted living care homes provide more personal care services. They provide skilled nursing care services for patients with both chronic and acute conditions. Seniors who need regular care from physicians or nurses are better suited for a nursing home. On the other hand, seniors who do not require regular medical care, but need assistance in completing daily activities like bathing, grooming, cooking meals, and medication management are better suited for residential care options.

Who Is a Good Fit for Residential Care Homes?

Not everyone would like to live in a residential care home, and not all requirements can be fulfilled in a home-like setting. So, it is important to discuss who is a good fit for such care homes.

At Two Hearts, we utilize House Call Doctors. They come to our home at least once per month to see our residents.

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Frequency of Medical Care

The first thing to consider is the frequency of medical care you require. Though residential care homes have practicing physicians visiting from time to time, that might not be sufficient if you need regular medical care. Considering a nursing home would be a better option for seniors who need medical care frequently. If you do not need regular medical care but need some assistance with activities of daily living, residential care homes are a good suit for you.

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Home maintenance

Maintaining a house is a tough job at any age. It becomes more troublesome for aging seniors. When you are unable to keep up with household chores and maintenance, shifting to a residential care home is a wise thought. Caregivers and home staff will take care of the household chores for the aging residents.

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Value of independence in Care homes

The majority of seniors value independence and thrive in smaller groups. The crowded senior care facilities may not be an ideal choice for them to spend days and years. Residential care homes allow their residents to retain their independence to a great extent that makes them feel more at home. Care homes are small communities of up to 20 residents. The small size gives the residents more independence for their day-to-day activities.

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Peace of Mind

If you prefer living in the calm and peaceful environment of community housing neighborhoods and a homelike setting, you would love to join a residential care home.

Financial Assistance for Residential Care Homes

When you are planning for assisted living, it is essential to plan associated financial expenses. There are a variety of programs and options for financial assistance for residential care homes. We are discussing some basics on the topic below.

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Medicare

Medicare does not cover expenses related to residential care homes. Medicare only covers the costs of your nursing homes under certain circumstances.

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Medicaid

Standard Medicaid does not cover residential care homes. However, it varies from state to state. Read your state’s Medicaid guidelines to be sure of the expenses for residential or nursing homes covered by Medicaid. Two Hearts is private pay and does not accept Medicaid.

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Aid and Attendance

Under such Veterans benefit programs, eligible Veterans and their spouses get a monthly payment. It can be used for paying long-term care expenses. These benefits are paid in addition to one’s monthly VA pension. Many eligible individuals use the Aid and Attendance benefit award to pay for the cost of residential care homes.

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Reverse Mortgages

Reverse mortgages are loans taken by homeowners against the value of the house. Many use this method to pay for residential care costs. The borrowers will need to repay the loans within a specified time frame.

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Long-Term Care Insurance and Life Insurance

Seniors who have an existing policy can avail the benefits of a long-term care policy. It covers their long-term care expenses. Long term care policy is a type of insurance, and the details of each policy may vary with each provider. Life insurance benefits help many seniors to cover their long-term care costs. Some seniors consider accessing their life insurance benefits early for it to cover senior living and nursing home expenses. You should consider the long-term impacts of accessing your benefit early in such cases.

Contact Us

Assisted living makes the lives of the elderly easy and convenient. If you are looking for assisted living in Indiana, USA, Click on “Request A Tour” or give us a call.

Our residential assisted living home care offers a home-like living experience with the best care services. It is a home-away-from-home.

Feel free to reach out to Two Hearts (219) 245-7556 for any queries regarding assisted living. You can also do a virtual tour before calling us!

Click here for a 360 virtual tour of our home or click here for a personal tour by Janel. Another great way to see some of our activities and residents is by checking out our Facebook page here!