It may be difficult having to come to the realization that a loved one can no longer go through their daily routine on their own. Perhaps it is parent or grandparent that needs special care. In many cases their offspring can not take them into their own home to care for because they do not have the specially needed facilities and equipment to accommodate them. Many people cannot afford to stop work in order to provide full time care and hiring a round the clock in-home caregiver is too expensive. Sadly, in a great deal of cases, many people do not have anyone close to them that may provide care so assisted living facilities become the final option.

There are millions of people who are in need of assisted living all over the world because they can no longer conduct activities of daily life (ADLs) on their own. This usually refers to the elderly but can also include those with disabilities. This type of care usually means that a person resides in a facility where normal daily needs such as eating, bathing, dressing and taking medications are conducted under the supervision or with the assistance of trained professionals.

In most cases a person who resides in these establishment requires help in at least three ADLs. These are people who do not require the intensive amount of care that could be present in a nursing home and requires a more social environment to be comfortable.

Statistically, residents of these facilities are women which outnumber the men three to one. Most are widowed but some still have husbands, wives, or significant others. The average age of one of the residents is 86.9 years and the average length of care is around twenty eight years.

One of the largest advantages is that of the social environment that these residences provide. Large common areas are available for eating with others and this helps to mitigate the loneliness many elders feel. This is a primary difference between ALFs and intensive care units where patients are kept bedridden and hooked up to monitoring devices most of or all the day.

Also, the residents need not be concerned with the preparation of meals. A trained kitchen staff offers three meals a day in a community dining hall where the people who live their can converse and mingle if they choose to do so.

Many of the newer facilities provide the residents with many amenities that are akin to still being independent while always ensuring that trained assistance is close by. For instance, in many cases a person may be given their own apartment type living area. No special monitoring equipment such as might be present in nursing homes are needed but basic household chores are provided by the staff. Bedding changes, trash removal, laundry services and fresh meals are provided daily.

Several assisted living facilities also offer service to the mentally ill. This is primarily reserved for people who are in certain stages of dementia, to include Alzheimer\’s disease. However, other types of patients with mental disabilities are welcome in some cases as long as they do not pose a threat to others or themselves.

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