Housing Choices
Assisted Living: What to Consider
Course Section
- Introduction
- How to Determine the Best Housing
- Assisted Living: What to Consider
- Asking the Right Questions of Assisted Living Facilities
- The Contract: Assisted Living
- Knowledge Test
As people become less able to live independently, sometimes alternate living arrangements need to be considered. Assisted living is aimed at helping residents be as independent as possible while providing assistance when necessary. The residences usually provide a combination of housing, meals, personal care and support services, social activities, 24-hour supervision, and in some residences, health-related services all in a home-like setting.
There is no standard model for assisted living residences; they can be very different in size, appearance, and the types of services they offer. Some residences provide only meals, basic housekeeping, and help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Others go beyond these services and help by arranging for transportation and certain health services. Costs vary greatly, and the monthly fee can change depending on the services provided.
An assisted living residence could be a small home with just a few people or a high-rise apartment-style building with as many as 200 or more residents. Living areas could be a single room or a full apartment with a small kitchen, with prepared meals also served in a common dining area.
These residences are a good choice for people who can’t live on their own but do not need a nursing home. Older people have many different needs, and because those needs often change over time, assisted living can offer different levels of care at different costs. Residents who live in an assisted living residence that is associated with a nursing home may have easier access to additional services should they need them.
If an assisted living residence sounds like the right choice, visiting the residence is an important step in making the final decision.
Comparing Facilities
What are you looking for in a facility?
Visiting several residences in the area is helpful. It provides the best opportunity to see what different places are like, to compare them, and to ask questions of the staff and residents.
Start by making a list of residences to visit. The following resources can help:
- The state of local Area Agency on Aging (AAA)*
- The local yellow pages
- The long term care ombudsman’s office*
- The state licensing agency
- Friends and neighbors
- Retirement guides
- The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), which provides lists of its member residences by state (These are mostly for-profit residences; the lists do not include all residences in each state);
- The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), which provides lists of member residences by state (These are not-for-profit residences.)
- * The Eldercare Locator can assist you in finding the closest Area Agency on Aging (AAA) office and/or the state long-term care ombudsman’s office.
Assisted living residences are not defined or regulated by the federal government and how they are licensed is an individual state decision. Be sure to find out from the AAA or state health department how your state oversees assisted living residences and how these residences are licensed. Make sure all the residences are licensed; if one of them isn’t, cross it off the list and move on.
It is also a good idea to check with the state licensing agency and ombudsman’s office to see if there have been any complaints filed against any of the facilities on the list. Don’t assume that a state license assures quality care.
Additional Resources
Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)
ALFA provides consumer information on elder housing options, eservices and protections.
Children of Aging Parents
This organization provides information, resources, and referrals for caregivers of aging parents.
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)
NCAL provides consumer information regarding all aspects of assisted living and residential care facilities.
