Assisted living is a relatively new concept. It was born in the 1980s as an alternative to nursing homes, offering a more person-centered model of care. Generally, larger assisted living facilities are able to provide more routine screenings for cognitive impairments and specialized programs for people with dementia. Maybe you're an older person or a family member researching what it takes to move into an assisted living facility.
People living below the poverty line, as well as many middle-income seniors who can't afford assisted living out of pocket, often have to resort to in-home family care or state-funded nursing homes instead. Researchers have also found that larger assisted living facilities are able to offer more dental, mental health, therapeutic and hospice services than smaller communities. This is because older people move to assisted living communities later in life, and their care needs may change more quickly. To serve this population, many assisted living communities have added sections or wings for memory care.
This growth statistic in newer small communities may point to an upward trend in demand for a more intimate environment for smaller assisted living homes, as opposed to larger ones. Many factors, including gender, can greatly affect the amount of time a person spends in an assisted living facility. This means that the remaining 83% of older people in assisted living communities are considered to have upper-middle or upper incomes. Due to CDC recommendations, many assisted living centers closed their doors to visitors or severely limited visits, making many families feel that the options at home were better.
To make assisted living more affordable for those who can't pay out of pocket, alternative methods should be explored. Older residents often need more help with activities of daily living (ADLs), but they can still benefit from the active, independent lifestyle offered by assisted living. Read on for national figures when it comes to the average length of stay in assisted living and what could affect it. Between now and 2030, 10,000 people of the post-war generation will reach retirement age every day, and many will seek assisted living options once they can no longer care for themselves independently. The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted the decisions of many families to move their loved ones into assisted living communities.
