Senior Living Services and Levels of Care: Here’s What You Need to Know

You or your loved one may be looking to find a Senior Living Community that’s a good fit for you or simply planning ahead to learn more about the placement process. Whether you’re looking to find a community or want to learn more, we’re here for you because we know it can be OVERWHELMING.

You might ask: What are the different levels of senior care? What senior care services or levels of care does my loved one need? Based on my loved one’s care needs, what does the process of choosing a Senior Community look like? And can my loved one still keep their independence? 

It’s important that you have all the information you need to find a senior community that fits your loved one’s care needs. Harmony Senior Referrals has the answers for you, and we care because we’ve been there – we’ve personally had to find a community for our loved ones. 

Let’s first take a look at the different types of senior care services and levels of care offered for your loved one.

What is Independent Living?

In independent living communities your loved one enjoys their everyday lifestyle without around-the-clock care. Since independent living communities offer socialization it allows your loved one to make lasting friendships with others while participating in activities, and more.

You or your loved one may feel scared to make the change into an independent living community or worried about your lifestyle changing completely. Often you translate this as losing your independence, however, you aren’t losing anything. Your loved one is able to live like they’re at home, while enjoying social events and more.

There are personalized services offered by each independent living community. A few common services that are offered to your loved one by these communities are housekeeping, transportation, meal plans, and social events and activities. There is something for everyone in independent living communities. 

In an independent living community, you and your loved one are going to be thriving in the profound freedom and socialization so much that they might wonder why they didn’t make the change sooner. If you’re interested in knowing more about these communities – we will be covering each individual level of care in an in-depth mini blog series coming up. 

What if independent living isn’t the care your loved one needs? In that case, assisted living might be a better fit for them.

What Does Assisted Living Entail?  

Assisted Living offers unique care for your loved one in order to give them a good quality of life. It is designed to support them in their daily lives and activities. If your loved one needs care anywhere from checking in, reminders, or some hands on care, assisted living has a healthcare team in place to provide this, from minimal to more in depth care. 

Assessments are performed by a Community to ensure that your loved one gets a personalized care plan for their health. The goal of an assessment is so that your loved one receives a healthy lifestyle, social engagement, and independence while living in a community. 

When your loved one joins an Assisted Living Community it’s more than supporting them. Assisted living is great because of some of its many benefits. 

You may feel your loved one would thrive with a community that offers the specific care they need. It can feel overwhelming for you as their family or caregiver. Assisted Living is an option for your loved one that will allow them to keep their independence and provides personalized daily care which enhances their quality of life. 

You may be wondering: What services are offered in assisted living? 

There are many services that would benefit your loved one’s day-to-day lifestyle. The most common services include medication management, three meals per a day at no additional cost, activities, transportation, and housekeeping.

We know you’ll love Assisted Living because of the supportive living environment and freedom that is included in the Communities. If your loved one’s care needs can be met by an Assisted Living Community then we would love to help you find the best fit for your loved one.

Now that you know a little more about assisted living and its services, let’s explore Skilled Nursing for your loved one.

What is Skilled Nursing? 

Skilled nursing care is a great option if your loved one requires care or treatment dealing with their health. This can include care and treatment for strokes, surgery, and serious medical conditions. This type of care is provided by licensed nurses, and communities offering it must meet strict criteria to ensure your loved one receives the best care possible. 

It is normal to feel worried when it comes to your loved one possibly needing Skilled Nursing. You’re not alone. It’s important to know that every level of care that Communities provide is solely to give your loved one the best care and quality of life. The licensed nurses that care for your loved one in communities offering skilled nursing are there to help your loved one retain the quality of life that they deserve.

If you feel skilled nursing isn’t a good fit, some communities have Memory Care for their residents. 

What is Memory Care? 

If your loved one is living with memory loss, whether it’s from Alzheimer’s or other forms of Dementia, Memory Care would allow them to experience an enhanced quality of life. It is care that’s designed to support them in their daily living, and most communities provide staff that are highly skilled with memory loss to ensure your loved one is getting the quality care they need. 

It can be stressful and overwhelming for you or a live-in caregiver when your loved one develops Alzheimer’s or other forms of Dementia. Placing your loved one in a Community that offers memory care can often add to their quality of life, since communities include cognitive building activities, socialization, dementia friendly meals, help with medication, bathing and more. 

We’ve covered the four main levels of care in senior communities, but it’s important to know when to place your loved one in a Senior Community. 

Below we’ve included signs to focus on when determining if your loved one would benefit from a Senior Community and how to determine the level of care they may need.

Signs Your Loved One May Benefit from Care Offered by Senior Communities. 

Not sure if your loved one would benefit from a Senior Community and the care they provide? Here are some signs that might indicate your loved one may benefit from joining a Senior Community:

• Your loved one needs help maneuvering around the house or outside of it.
• You feel your loved one has isolated themselves from you or others. 
• You feel they need 24/7 care. 
• You help them to bathe or go to the bathroom.
• You help them to feed themselves.
• They require transportation to and from places.
• And you help them to take their medications.

If you notice your loved one fits into one or all of these signs it may be a good time to look into placing them in a senior community. There are many great options to choose from that will improve their quality of life. In fact, in the United States there are 30,600 communities to choose from. Here at Harmony Senior Referrals we “hold your hand” through the entire process of choosing a Community for your loved one – and we tour each community with you to help you find the right fit. 

Now that you know the signs that your loved one may be ready to join a senior community let’s go over determining the level of care that would fit your loved one’s lifestyle. 

Harmony Senior Referrals is a free placement service for your family. We take worries and uncertainty and melt them into reassurance and comfort. We aim to support you and your family during this entire process. That includes helping you determine your loved one’s care needs because every Community provides you different services and levels of care. Determining the level of care your loved one needs can be difficult sometimes, that’s why we sit down with you and your loved one to answer all your questions and to help add some clarity to what would be a good fit for them. 

If you’re wanting help placing your loved one in the best Senior Community that improves their quality of life, reach out to us today. We would love to be a support system for you in this season. 

You can contact us by phone: (303) 667-2420 or email: harmonyseniorreferrals@gmail.com