Senior living care levels are one of the core elements of senior living. Independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term skilled nursing care, and short-term rehab are each unique. Each has different options that can range from shared rooms all the way up to villa homes. Yet the biggest difference is in the type and amount of care they offer. The care available in each level ranges from no care to 24/7 nursing care. Senior living has something for everyone 55 and up so it’s important to understand what level of care is right for your individual needs.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Your Perfect Senior Living Care Level
The senior living journey can be hard and confusing. Even when you know what the senior living care levels are, you may not know which is best for you. Navigating this journey shouldn’t be harder than necessary – but we’re here to help. Ask yourself these 10 yes/no questions to understand which senior living care level could be right for you.
1. I want a maintenance-free life without worrying about things like yardwork, mounting things on the walls, or plumbing repairs.
Home maintenance is often one of the first things that inspires someone to consider senior living. No matter how much you love your home, maintaining it can be a hassle – especially as you age. Senior living communities have maintenance and grounds teams for landscaping, hanging your pictures, repairing leaky faucets, and more. You can consider your honey-do list done.
2. I don’t need help now but I want the peace of mind of knowing more help is available if I (or my spouse) ever need it.
Another common situation that inspires someone to consider senior living is planning for the future. Even if you don’t need assistance with any of your activities of daily living, you may be preparing for the day that you, or your spouse, does need more assistance. This is particularly true if you are considering a community that offers multiple levels of care, such as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). At a community offering multiple levels of care, you and your spouse can both receive the amount of care and assistance you each need while still calling the same community home.
3. I’m looking to have fun with friends and have a more connected social life.
If you find yourself feeling lonely, or wishing you had a more vibrant social life, senior living may be for you. Regardless of how much assistance you need with your daily activities, or which care level is right for you, senior living communities are full of ways to have fun with friends. Often, new residents find they have a much more connected social life after they move, which is also good for their physical and mental wellbeing.
4. I don’t want to cook all my own meals.
Cooking can be exhausting and the clean up afterwards can be even worse. But, going out to eat every meal is bad for the waistline and the wallet. Living at a senior living community, like The Ohio Masonic Communities, you can enjoy chef-inspired meals at your choice of restaurant-style dining rooms. Don’t feel like eating out? Try getting your meal to go – you may even be able to have it delivered. Most senior living villa homes and apartments also have kitchens if you decide you want to cook for yourself.
5. I want or need the convenience of dining, events, and my living space in the same building.
Sometimes, you just need things to be convenient. You don’t want to have to trek across the campus to get to the dining rooms, fitness center, or activities. That’s the beauty of senior living apartments. Frequently offered in both independent living and assisted living, apartments offer you privacy with the ease of community spaces and amenities nearby.
6. I want or need someone else to take care of the housekeeping.
Cleaning your house, no matter how big or small, can be a daunting task. Household chores that once seemed so simple, like vacuuming and mopping, may be starting to become challenging to do. This is often one of the first daily activities you may need help with. Senior living communities have environmental services teams who are responsible for not only keeping common spaces around the community clean, but also residents’ apartments in some levels of care.
7. I need help remembering to take medication.
It’s important to take medications exactly as your doctor prescribes them. Even without Alzheimer’s or dementia, remembering to take the right medication at the right time can be a challenge. Medication management is offered in most senior living care levels. In fact, this is one of the first reasons someone may need assisted living, rather than independent living.
8. I need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) like getting dressed, bathing, or going to the bathroom.
Your activities of daily living are the things you need to do every day to survive. It’s things like eating, using the bathroom, bathing, getting dressed, and more. Providing assistance with these activities is what assisted living is all about. With staff available 24/7, assisted living residents are able to receive help with the daily activities they need assistance with, while maintaining their independence with the ones they don’t.
9. I would benefit from an emergency call pendant, daily check-in, and/or having a nurse available 24/7.
Sometimes, you just need someone to check-in on you each day to ask how you’re doing. You may also want the peace of mind that comes with an emergency call pendant in case of a fall or other medical emergency. There’s also an added sense of security knowing a nurse is available around the clock if something happens. Luckily, these are all staples of assisted living.
10. I have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia and could benefit from the extra structure and security offered in memory care.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia alone doesn’t mean you or your loved one needs memory care. At first, you may benefit from the social connection and maintenance-free lifestyle of independent living. Or maybe some of the assistance with your daily activities that comes from assisted living. Eventually, as your disease progresses, memory care may end up being the best choice for you or your loved one. Memory care is often more structured. Caregivers help you follow a routine and offer activities and programming designed for those with memory or cognitive challenges. It’s also typically a secured area to offer more safety for residents and peace of mind for their loved ones.
It’s not uncommon for someone to start looking for senior living after they or a loved one were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. They may not need memory care yet, but want to know what their options are when they do. Often, this is a great time to move to independent living or assisted living where you can benefit from more social connection and assistance when you need it. Then, if you’ve chosen a community with multiple levels of care, memory care will be available if you or your loved one ever needs it.
Understanding Your Answers to Find the Right Senior Living Care Level
Answering these questions is only helpful if we understand what they mean and how to interpret the results. If you answered yes to any of the questions, you should definitely consider moving to a senior living community! At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we offer a maintenance-free lifestyle, connected social life, dining, and housekeeping. We also offer assistance with your activities of daily living when you need it. Plus, our residents have peace of mind, a sense of security, and more.
Independent Living Villas
If you answered yes to the first four questions, and no to the rest, an independent living villa may be the best senior living option for you. Our villa residents benefit from the maintenance-free lifestyle and social connection. They also have peace of mind for the future and can enjoy meals in our on campus, restaurant-style dining rooms whenever they want.
Independent Living Apartments
Independent living apartments offer everything villas do, with some additions. Apartments have the added benefit of convenience, with every amenity you could want under the same roof as you home. Independent living apartments can also include housekeeping. If you answered yes to the first six questions, and no to the rest, you may want to consider an independent living apartment.
Assisted Living
If you answered yes to questions 6, 7, 8, or 9, assisted living is likely the best choice for you. Our assisted living residents have private apartments and get all the same benefits of independent living. But, they also get assistance with their activities of daily living. In assisted living you can enjoy the social connection and other benefits of senior living. But, you can also get help when you need it.
Memory Care
Memory care, also known as memory support, usually offers all the same benefits of assisted living. In fact, it’s often a specialized type of assisted living. If you answered yes to question 10, you may want to consider memory care for yourself or your loved one. If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, and you don’t need the security, structure, or support of memory care yet, consider looking at independent living or assisted living at a community that offers memory care. Then, if the day comes that you or your loved one needs memory care, it’s available for you.
An In-Depth Look at Each Senior Living Care Level
Do you want to learn more about senior living care levels? In Here to Help: Your Guide to Senior Living Care Levels we explain details of each care level, including who could benefit, what accommodations it offers, what’s included, pricing, and more. Request your free copy of the guide today!
Here to Help
We have an entire library of resources available for you. You can request any of our free guides covering topics such as caregiving, memory changes, and senior living community and contract types. Each guide answers some of your biggest questions and helps you navigate senior living. You can see our full library of Here to Help guides and request your free copies here.
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we want everyone to have the resources they need to navigate their journey. If you want to learn more about senior living care levels, we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here. We have three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio.