Caring for an Ill or Disabled Senior Citizen: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility

The next installment in my on-going series on senior care addresses considerations for choosing an assisted living community. Pricing, accommodations, area, security, location, living space and hygiene are major factors. Senior citizens generally qualify for Medicare (senior health care) and social security upon retirement. There are senior care facilities in most larger communities which offer various levels of care. Many assisted living communities areHUD (Housing and Urban Development) sponsored communities. This means that a portion of the senior citizens rent is covered by federal funding programs. The rate of rent paid by the senior citizen is adjusted on a sliding scale based on income, pension, social security, assets and ability to pay. Whether your elderly loved one qualifies for HUD sponsored assisted living depends upon financial and physical need.

You can access the HUD website to find out how much money a senior citizen can make and still qualify for a HUD apartment. Using the HUD website, you can obtain a list of HUD approved senior housing facilities.You also need to assess the senior citizen's ability to live independently. In order for a senior citizen to qualify for assisted living, they must be mobile and able to get around independently or with the use of a walker or cane. They must be self-sufficient; in other words, able to do their own laundry, prepare meals and access the building.
The difference between HUD apartments for senior and regular apartments is that all the residents are seniors. The building is also secured and can only be entered by a key or entryway phone dial access. Visitors must dial the apartment number of the person they wish to see. The resident must approve access to the building via a phone activated entryway. This secured entry is an important feature of assisted living facilities. If the facility you are viewing does not have a secured entry, I don't advise you to consider it.

Each apartment should have Each apartment should also contain at least two emergency access pull cords, one in the bathroom and bedroom. If the senior falls or has an emergency, a pull of the cord initiates a 911 call. These emergency pull cords are essential for your senior citizen's safety and care.

The ideal assisted living senior community must also include two functional elevators (two in case one is stuck) and trash with easy open trash shoot on each floor. The senior citizen is especially prone to falling and should never have to climb stairs. Look, too for properly installed flat carpeting, no area or throw rugs, properly secured weather mats and nothing on the floor to cause a senior citizen to trip or fall.

The assisted living senior facility should also have it's own transportation service. If a community shuttle bus isn't available, the senior center should at least be on city bus route which has handicapped accessible buses. The center should be designed so that the bus can pull right up to the main door. The center should also provide a direct phone to the bus or transportation system.

Easily accessible laundry services are also a must. The ideal senior center will have at least one fully stocked laundry mat with enough washers and dryers to service the entire population. A change machine and laundry aids vending machine is important also. It's not essential, but a hair dressing facility and ATM machine are helpful for the senior citizen.

If you are caring for a disabled, handicapped or rehabilitative senior citizen you may want to consider a assisted living community for your elderly loved one.