Seniors and their loved ones will eventually have difficult choices about their care and well-being.
The individual needs of every senior should be addressed and guide the decision of what kind of resources and professional assistance could be offered.
Anyone who faces those hard choices could help the situation by familiarizing themselves with the different senior living communities available.
Though overwhelming, if the services don’t match your loved one’s needs as closely as possible, their level of personal care and quality of daily living could suffer.
To help you out, we have put together a guide to show you the difference between independent living communities, senior living communities, and communities for assisted living residents.
Not all senior living communities are the same
Every elderly individual needs their own particular type of specialized care—from those facing extreme disabilities to those who require little or no assistance at all.
For example, some individuals might need frequent help for daily living issues like laundry, transportation services, or meals. Or perhaps they have more long-term, specialized care needs like those with dementia or memory conditions.
Whatever the level of care that your loved ones might require today, there can be changes down the road that will require adjusting their care plan.
The pandemic is an excellent example of this change. Since the beginning of 2020, retirement communities worldwide have had to adjust to living in a new normal—and only the most committed and resourceful nursing staff could adapt to a new level of safety.
Regardless of the type of challenges caregivers might face, an excellent place to start researching is to define what the differences are between the types of care communities.
Independent living
Independent living apartments focus on convenience for seniors who live active lives.
For example, seniors might choose to go out to dinner or explore downtown. Kensington Park’s convenient location allows residents to come and go as they please, either by driving or walking. In addition, any 24-7 services could connect seniors with transportation or technical support. These active seniors have many options and won’t be confined to a home.
One of the few communities for independent living in Montgomery County, The Highlands at Kensington Park offers exceptional independent lifestyle choices.
Those ready to lose the tiring demands of owning their own home can choose our beautiful, 8-acre campus nestled in the heart of a quaint Kensington neighborhood. This location can be an ideal setting for those looking to take it easier in their golden years.
Also, as we mentioned above, the level of care required can change over time. These independent living apartments also have easy access to assisted care and memory care facilities across campus.
Assisted living communities
There are several forms of assisted living communities available for seniors today. Let’s start by breaking down the difference.
Home care
When your loved ones need a little more assistance, one of your first thoughts might go to home care.
The term “home care” generally refers to any professional support at your own home or loved one’s home. For example, skilled nursing, therapists, or aides might provide short-term or longer-term assistance depending on personal needs or medical care.
Despite obvious similarities, there are also definite differences between a senior living community and home care.
What is a senior living community?
“Senior living community” is actually an umbrella term that includes aspects of independent living communities, assisted living communities, and memory care facilities.
In each case, the amenities and resources are centralized and professionally organized to create an optimum care environment for your loved ones. There is some overlap between the types of communities, as the needs of seniors might change over time.
What are assisted living communities?
Everyone of every age needs a little bit of help now and then. Assisted living communities are there to offer different kinds of assistance while maximizing the amount of independence.
These residences are generally for older adults with mobility or other health issues requiring some extra support with activities of daily living like meals, dressing, grooming, and medication management, to name a few.
On site amenities will also typically include housekeeping, transportation and laundry services. Many will also offer opportunities to foster mental and physical stimulation and social events for engagement.
Memory care
Memory care becomes vitally necessary for elderly adults with some type of cognitive impairment or perhaps dementia.
For communities that cater to these particular cases, safety and security become imperative. The Kensington Park staff and team members undergo specific training to work with these residents to provide tailored activities of daily living while caring for and connecting with them.
Benefits of assisted living
The many benefits of assisted living include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Medical care: Access to medical care or a skilled nursing facility is faster, more direct, and frequently available 24/7.
- More free time: Without the necessity to do yard work, housework, or home maintenance, seniors can spend more time doing things that interest and enrich their lives.
- Social interaction: Assisted living allows guests to engage with various life enrichment options, like social interaction, which can be more challenging in home-care scenarios.
- Peace of mind: These facilities enable primary caregiving family members to spend more quality time with their loved ones.
How does skilled nursing care determine the level of care?
A properly trained medical services staff on-site can get to know the people under their care and recognize when certain assisted living facilities might be beneficial.
For example, some rehabilitation services provided can give seniors a brighter future by addressing communication, physical, and mental difficulties.
Having direct and easy access to therapeutic professionals goes hand-in-hand with senior wellness.
The Kensington Park Promise
Residents in our Kensington Park independent living, assisted living, and memory care neighborhoods can engage in numerous daily activities that cater to all interests and abilities.
Contact Kensington Park Senior Living to learn more about the Kensington difference.
Our Promise is to care for your family as we would for our own. In all aspects of caring, we vow to provide your loved one with loving and exceptional support, day in and day out.