If you are thinking of placing a parent or older relative in a senior living facility, you should know about the different types of accommodation out there first. There are mainly three types of living arrangements that you need to consider, and these are nursing homes, retirement homes, and assisted living facilities.
All of these facilities have their specificities, and one might work better than the other depending on the person’s needs and condition. Let’s take a look at all three options so you can get a better idea of which one would be the most suitable for your situation.
Retirement Home
Retirement homes are the classic option for fully autonomous seniors who’d like to live in a community. Retirement homes can be big or small and can be located in nature or urban centers. They offer basic services like food and entertainment and usually allow people to come and go as they please as long as they respect certain boundaries. They allow residents to roam freely within the facility, leave their beds where they want, and get visits too. So, if the person you are thinking of is still very active and doesn’t mind doing things for themselves, this is the best option for them.
Assisted Living
Assisted living is usually the best option for people who are losing mobility but can still move around. They can also be a good option for people dealing with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. The great thing about assisted living facilities is that they have medical staff on-site 24/7 but won’t have the same restrictions as a nursing home. Nurses will be there to assist patients more than overseeing them and can help with everything from treatments to checkups to providing medication.
They are also great for people who simply don’t feel like or can’t do things like cooking, the laundry, or cleaning themselves. If that sounds good to you and you live in New Jersey, you should start checking out a few facilities that offer assisted living in Princeton NJ with memory care as they have some of the best in the state.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are very different from other types of senior living accommodation even if they’re often jumbled together. The goal of a nursing home is to assist people who are severely ill and have to either be bedridden or monitored most of the time. You should also know that residents will often have to share the room with someone else and won’t offer as many social activities. So, this should only be considered if the person has a severe disease or is nearing the end of their life.
Now that you know more about the different types of senior accommodation, you’ll be able to make a better choice and narrow down the facilities that would work for you. Try to speak with as many facilities as you reasonably can before choosing one and ask as many questions as you can as well.
