Continuing care retirement communities are a hot topic in the senior care business right now. But what exactly is a continuing care retirement community, and is it right for your family’s unique situation? Here, we will briefly define continuing care, give some examples of situations where it is the best choice, and let you know what types of situations might not be solved by continuing care communities.
Continuing care is an ongoing type of care, and in respect to senior care, it is used to help address chronic or recurring disabilities. In a very general sense, this can apply to a lot of different types of care, including in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care. A continuing care retirement community is a place where several senior citizens live together, receiving assistance to help them get through the day in a safe and healthy manner. Typically, these communities focus more on non-medical care, although medical care is sometimes easily accessible or even provided. Looking at the concepts listed above, this is often something that could easily fit the definition of an assisted living facility.
A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) might be a good choice for elderly individuals who want to maintain a degree of control over their independence and want an opportunity to be able to socialize with others their same age. Independence is drastically reduced in a nursing home situation, and people often make this same assumption when it comes to any type of senior care. But some types of care give those being assisted more freedom than others. That’s one of the great things about CCRC; it allows those that are in relatively good health the chance to do their own thing, but in a safe and supervised environment. This can take place in an assisted living facility, or it might be a senior living community where the person in need has their own apartment.
Another situation where a CCRC might be the best choice is when you are unsure of what your mom or dad’s health is going to be in the near future. A CCRC allows your parent to stay independent, but because they are also under close supervision, changes in health and ability can be closely monitored. If things get to a point where more intensive care is a must, the need will be noticed by a professional quickly. When adjustments to the type of senior care needed become necessary, there are far fewer questions about what to do or when to do it. They will be under the watch of a trained professional who will know how best to make this call.
For some individuals, continuing care communities are not enough. These people have more serious medical needs, or they may have advanced dementia and will need closer supervision. Others do not want to move, even if it is in a more independent community than the typical nursing home. For these people, in-home care can be a potential solution. This does not fully address the need for companionship, but this can often be alleviated with a high quality and friendly in-home caregiver.
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