At Village Park Senior Living, we know the value of fully understanding a new community before joining it. If you’re considering moving to a senior-living or retirement community, one of the best ways to start researching is to identify which broad category is most suitable to your needs and wishes. To help people searching for their new home find what’s right for them, this week’s blog is a breakdown of the main labels you’ll see applied to senior-oriented communities:
Senior living
This is the general term for a community designed for middle-aged to older adults. Different senior-living communities may cater to various age ranges and focus on specific senior needs, be they medical, social, lifestyle, etc. Before deciding on a community for you and/or a loved one, it’s important to research, tour, and ask questions about the senior-living communities that interest you to make sure they cater to people like you or your loved one.
Active adult living
This type of community caters to middle-aged to older adults who don’t need or want any special assistance or accommodations. Although sometimes referred to as “senior-living communities,” these communities are often open to people age 55+. Active adult living allows people over 55 without special needs to live near and socialize with people closer to their own age, all while living completely independently.
Independent living
Most residents in independent-living communities don’t require assistance with daily tasks, but they may want to have things like laundry, housekeeping, transportation, and some meals managed by someone else. This is a great option for seniors who can fully take care of themselves but would prefer not to live alone. The living situation may consist of standalone housing units or apartments. Independent living provides opportunities for seniors to socialize and relieves the burden of certain everyday tasks, allowing people to enjoy their retirement years more fully.
Assisted living
This option is for seniors who want or need some assistance with daily tasks, medication management, and other light care needs. Not everyone in an assisted living community needs such assistance, but it’s available for those who do. Some senior couples may only need this special attention for one person, and many assisted-living communities offer options for this circumstance. Village Park Senior Living offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care in order to provide a home and community that can fully adapt to your or your loved ones’ needs for today and tomorrow. Licensed as assisted living throughout the main campus, Village Park enables residents to convert their independent living homes to assisted without moving or waiting.
Nursing homes
Nursing homes are for older adults who need skilled medical assistance or observation around the clock. Sometimes called extended-care or skilled-nursing facilities, these places may be temporary or long-term and usually house residents in individual rooms in the same building. For seniors who need 24-hour medical care, a nursing home is a necessary and beneficial living option. At Village Park, we partner with home healthcare organizations to provide skilled care when appropriate. Our on-site nurses perform wellness assessments to ensure the resident’s needs are being fully met or if additional care at a skilled nursing facility is required.
These aren’t the only classifications of senior living, and there can be significant overlap among these categories. Continuing-care retirement communities offer living options of all levels, and here at Village Park, we provide our residents with a wide range of living choices. Our residents also have access to many health, wellness, and social activities specifically geared toward seniors. If you’d like to learn more about assisted living, independent living, memory care, or any of the many programs, amenities, and activities we offer, please contact Village Park Senior Living at any of our convenient locations for more information. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for updates and to check back often for new blogs.