How many times have you heard the saying “It Takes A Village” to raise a child. To me, this saying has farther reaching implications. Collectively, a group of people with similar interests or passions will accomplish a great deal more than these same people otherwise working independently of the group. If you work in the field of Aging, Long Term Care, Human Services, or related fields, you know how essential it is to have a collective group of like minded people working together to provide services to our seniors who are growing increasingly infirm.
We can all agree that safe, affordable, supportive housing is an ever present concern for seniors. The right living environment helps facilitate health, safety, and well-being. Decisions related to choosing the right living environment, as well as the logistics of “transitioning” from the previous setting to the new setting are challenging. Did you know there is help for somebody looking to choose the right living environment, and to help coordinate a smooth “transition”?
This “Community Spotlight” focuses on Mike Cude, Owner of Arkansas Senior Living Solutions (SLS).
SLS is a free consulting service that helps navigate the complicated senior care environment. When a loved one can no longer live safely at home alone, SLS provides the guidance and resources needed to make an educated decision about their future care requirements.
There are several different types of senior supportive living settings; ranging from independent to skilled nursing centers. Each setting offers essential features designed to meet specific care needs.
Independent living is just that, an individual must maintain a relatively self-sufficient lifestyle to live in one of these communities. These can range from a senior apartment complex with a minimum age requirement to an all-inclusive, resort-like community. Some offer meal plans, laundry, housekeeping, activities, socialization, transportation to and from appointments and activities, and wellness programs but, typically no medical care options. Many of your day-to-day chores and home-ownership responsibilities are taken care of by staff.
Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) offer many of the same amenities and activities as independent living but also provide a higher level of care for their residents. An ALF is for individuals who can maintain some level of independence but still may require assistance with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, eating). These communities are divided into Level 1 & Level 2. Both are regulated by the Department of Human Services, Long Term Care Division. So, they meet staffing, training, admissions, and discharge requirements to maintain their state license.
Assisted Living Level 1 = Can’t administer medications. They can only give reminders. A resident can’t be bed-ridden or require 24-hour nursing services even though most have nursing services available around the clock.
Assisted Living Level 2 = Can administer medications and can serve “nursing home” eligible patients in some cases but they still cannot be bed-ridden. A physician or nurse evaluation will determine a patient’s status and level of care required. Some communities will offer a base monthly rate and then add on amounts depending on the level of care required by the resident.
Memory Care or Alzheimer’s Care Unit = Sometimes housed in a separate wing of an Assisted Living Community or may even be a stand-alone community designed solely for the care of residents with a diagnosis of dementia. The staff is specifically trained for this purpose. Special activities are provided and many times the floor plan is designed to promote wandering which is commonly seen with this disease process. Many of these facilities house residents according to their cognitive level so they’re surrounded by other residents with similar disease progression.
Nursing Home Care = Nursing homes typically provide Skilled Nursing Care and Rehab services. They are also licensed by the state and are highly regulated. They provide 24-hour care by nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, & speech therapists. Medicare may even cover some of the cost of this type of care if it follows a hospital stay.
SLS helps each client navigate the various settings and match the amenities and services to each specific client’s needs, preferences, and financial budget. Every community has many differences and similarities and can become very confusing when comparing. Especially considering the emotions involved when it’s your loved one. We personally meet with our clients to get to know them, their families, and their specific care requirements. We then take all of that into consideration when suggesting properties and communities which deliver their specific level of care. Since we’ve personally toured and vetted each individual community and provider, we’re able to cut down on the amount of time a family must spend touring places that may not meet their needs. We can also use this information to recommend signing up for only the levels of care needed which can potentially save a lot of money. Just like someone would use a real estate agent to buy a home or a travel agent to book a trip, our agents are familiar with the nuances of the senior care environment and can give valuable input at no cost to the family.
You can call Senior Living Solutions at 501-650-3013 or find them at www.SrLivingSolutions.com to schedule an assessment.