118. True or False: Are all senior living communities nursing homes?
Are all senior living communities nursing homes?
No, there are many senior living options beyond just nursing homes.
"All senior living communities are nursing homes" is a common myth. Perhaps you’ve spoken to your loved one about senior living, and they shut it down, saying, “I can’t go to a nursing home!” You may have the mental image of depressing facilities from the 1970s with low ceilings and few windows. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then!
Senior living is an umbrella term for many types of senior communities.
There's senior apartments, which offer community activities and recreation. There’s independent living, which offers 3 meals a day and is nothing like the stereotypical nursing home. In fact, it’s more like a cruise ship on land. There’s assisted living, which provides your own apartment plus additional help if you need it. Then of course there’s memory care for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Residential care homes are another type of senior living offered in a normal home in a neighborhood and can accommodate a variety of needs.
So what are nursing homes?
Nursing homes actually have 2 different sides: short-term care and long-term care.
Long-term care might seem more like the nursing home you have in mind. However, the other wing is for people who need rehabilitation from something like a surgery or illness. So nursing homes aren’t always a life sentence!
Ultimately, knowledge is power. Hopefully, with the right senior living knowledge, you’ll understand the best placement for you or your loved one and can feel at ease about the decision you make.
Topics discussed:
- Nursing homes
- Senior living myths
- Types of senior living
- Assisted living
- Memory care
- Independent living
- Senior apartments
- Short-term vs. long-term care
Takeaways from this episode:
- People may envision nursing homes when they hear about senior living. However, senior living is an umbrella term for many types of communities for those with different needs.
-Different options cater to different needs and include senior apartments, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and residential care homes.
-A nursing home may not be required if for example you simply need assistance with bathing.. You can always go to assisted living or even an independent care home and have a caregiver come in just for that purpose.
-The short-term care side of the nursing home is covered by Medicare or health insurance. For long-term care, many nursing homes take Medicaid.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Senior Living explained:
True or false: Pets are not allowed in senior living communities
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