For decades, older adults and families evaluating long-term care options have often faced a difficult reality: While many communities provide compassionate and clinically sound care, the traditional nursing home model has often felt “institutional” … more like a hospital than a home. Today, however, the senior living and care industry is in the midst of [...]
According to the latest CDC statistics, there are nearly 2.1 million Americans living in our nation’s 46,200 long-term care facilities. This includes 30,600 assisted living communities with nearly 820,000 residents, and 15,600 skilled nursing facilities (also called nursing homes) with around 1.3 million residents. In many cases, these are some of the most vulnerable members of [...]
When family caregivers and home health care providers are no longer able to meet a person’s care needs, some families make the decision to move their loved one to a skilled nursing facility, also called a nursing home. It’s important to understand the potential costs of long-term care in a nursing home as well as [...]
You’ve probably heard the quote “Getting old ain't for sissies,” which is typically attributed to Bette Davis. Most of us would agree! As we grow older, our bodies often start to feel the wear and tear of a lifetime of use, and in some cases, a health issue or even a health crisis may arise. [...]
Do you remember what you were doing the last week of April in 2020? Odds are, you weren’t doing much of anything as the COVID-19 lockdown was in full force in numerous areas of our nation. It was a lonely time for many people as the social isolation intended to keep us safe wore on [...]
Long-term care is a hot topic as more and more Baby Boomers require some level of care or assistive services at the same time that we face a shortage of paid caregivers in this country. While no one wants to think that they themselves will need help as they grow older, the reality is that [...]
Research has found that somewhere between 50 and 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will require care services at some point, meaning they’ll need assistance with at least a couple of activities of daily living and possibly even a higher level of care. Approximately 20 percent of people receiving such long-term care [...]
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)’s Administration on Aging (AOA), around 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will require long-term care services at some point in their life. This means they will need assistance with at least two activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, or [...]
In last week’s post, I discussed the importance of not only visiting the healthcare center at the continuing care retirement community (CCRC, or life plan community) you are considering, but also doing some due diligence research to ensure they will provide you with the quality of care you expect, should you ever need it. In [...]
In talking with residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs, or life plan communities) around the country, I often hear stories about how happy people are with their decision to move to the community. They talk about the benefits like wellness programs, the sense of community, amenities that make life easier and more enjoyable, and [...]
