Adult Day Services
Adult day service centers provide a
coordinated program of professional and
compassionate services for adults in a
community-based group setting. Services are
designed to provide social and some health
services to adults who need supervised care
in a safe place outside the home during the
day. They also afford caregivers respite from
the demanding responsibilities of caregiving.
Adult day centers generally operate during
normal business hours five days a week.
Some programs offer services in the evenings
and on weekends. Although each facility may
differ in terms of features, the general services
offered by most adult day centers are social
activities, transportation, meals and snacks,
personal care and therapeutic activities.
Alzheimer's / Dementia
Many Assisted Living communities cater to
individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other
related memory disorders. There is a growing
trend towards specialized communities that
provide care and housing tailored to the
special needs of individuals with this disease.
What sets these facilities apart is the care
provided that fosters residents individual skills
and interests in an environment that helps to
diminish confusion and agitation. Specialty
services are provided in a secure environment
by specially trained professional staff skilled in
handling the behavior associated with memory
impairments.
Senior Apartments
Senior apartments are independent
apartments that are age restricted - starting at
55 or 62 years of age. Some senior
apartment communities may have an on-site
meal program (generally no more than one
meal per day) and housekeeping services
available at a separate cost. There are federal
and state programs that help pay for this level
of housing for seniors with low to moderate
income. Rent payments are usually a
percentage of income or a pre-adjusted low
income rate for those that qualify. Many of
these communities include amenities such as
a club house/meeting room, library, laundry
facilities, beauty/barber shop, transportation,
fitness center, etc. Some may also offer a
Service Coordinator to assist in procuring
additional services. Other types of Active
Senior Communities exist, including single
family homes, condominiums or mobile
homes.
Assisted Living
Residential Care
Assisted Living, the largest growing type of
housing, provides a special combination of
residential housing, personalized supportive
services and health care designed for the
individual needs of those requiring help with
activities of daily living (dressing, bathing,
grooming, etc.), and do not require skilled
medical care provided in a nursing home.
There are a variety of names and license
designations in different parts of the country:
Board and Care, Residential Care, Community
Based Retirement Facilities, Personal Care,
Adult Living, Adult Foster Care. However, the
growing generic term throughout the country
is "Assisted Living". Services and level of care
will vary, however most Communities provide
assistance with daily activities, meals, laundry,
and housekeeping.
Assisted Living Communities offer a wide
range of choices from the cozy familiarity of a
single family home to the more extensive
apartment style environment. These
communities can be free standing or part of a
Continuing Care Community that provides
independent, assisted and nursing care, or
specialized services may be brought into
independent retirement communities.
Continuing Care Communities
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
(CCRC), also known as Life Care
Communities, are residential campuses that
provide a continuum of care - from
apartments/homes to assisted living and if
needed, skilled nursing care, all in one
location. CCRC communities range in
entrance fees/rates and available services.
Home Care and Services
Home Care is a cost-effective alternative to
hospital care or other institutional care. You
can receive health care or personal care
services within your own home with the
assistance of a home care agency. Services
are available to people of all ages on a basis of
daily visits, monthly visits, or hourly care, up to
24-hours a day. Increasingly, older people are
choosing to live independent lives and take
advantage of home care services. Services
can include medical and non-medical care
such as assisting with shopping, laundry,
meals and companionship.
Hospice
Hospice is special care designed to provide
compassion and support for individuals in the
final phase of a terminal illness. Hospice care
seeks to enable patients to spend their last
days with dignity in as comfortable and pain-free
manner as possible. Hospice care can be
in a number of settings: in the privacy of your
home, in a hospice facility or a nursing home.
Independent Living
These communities, often referred to as
Retirement or Congregate Living, are designed
specifically for independent senior adults in an
apartment like setting with 24-hour on-site
supervision. Services usually include, but in
some cases are optional: meals, laundry and
housekeeping. Social Activities are usually
entertaining and educational and help to foster
a great sense of community among the
residents. Only private pay is accepted in the
rental communities.
Nursing / Rehab Centers
Provides room and board, personal care,
protection supervision and medical care,
licensed and regulated by the State
Department of Public Health. Individually
certified by the State for Medicare and
Medicaid. Facilities accept a variety of
payment options: Medicare/Medi-Cal,
Medicaid, private insurance, and private funds.
Three levels of care are provided:
• Basic Care – Required to maintain a
resident's activity of daily living. Personal
care, ambulation, supervision and safety.
• Skilled Care - Requires the services of a
registered nurse, on a regular basis, for
treatments and procedures.
• Sub-Acute - Comprehensive inpatient
care designed for someone who has had
an acute illness, injury, or exacerbation of
a disease process.