Basics of Assisted Living Communities

Retirement-bound people often visit us without a basic knowledge of communities offering assisted living.

Licensing requirements for assisted living facilities vary by state with as many as 26 different names for assisted living. You may find assisted living called residential care, board and care, congregate care, personal care or as part of a continuity of care that includes a range of independent living to skilled nursing care, such as what is provided at East Ridge at Cutler Bay.

Our new Health Center, which is under construction, will replace our current assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and will be state-of-the art in its features and services.

According to the National Institute of Health, seniors may reach a point when they should no longer live on their own but don’t need round-the-clock nursing care. Assisted living facilities provide an alternative; providing help with everyday tasks of dressing, bathing, eating, or using the bathroom but without the care found in skilled nursing facilities.

Ideal is a community like East Ridge which offers a continuum of care.  A person can easily take advantage of the care options that are available when and if these services are needed.

We use the term Lifecare to emphasize a guarantee to unlimited access to on-site health care, for as long as needed, including home health care and rehabilitation .  Both short and long-term skilled nursing care and specialized memory care are also available as extended services

Seniors facing retirement decisions need to carefully consider their future medical needs when considering any retirement community.  It is the extent and quality of services that ultimately determines its real value, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging.

For someone beginning research on retirement community living, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides five fundamental questions to assist choosing a safe, comfortable and age-appropriate community:

• What will the resident’s future needs be?
• How will the community meet those needs?
• Is the community close to family and friends?
• Are shopping centers easily accessible?
• Is there a written statement of philosophy of care?

Basic ‘shopping’ guidelines include visiting the community more than once, sometimes with or without an appointment.  Take advantage of trial stays.  Sample food quality and services.  Observe interactions among residents and staff, the extent of social, recreational and spiritual activities offered. Learning what types of training staff receives (and how frequently) is another key guideline. Finally, we advise talking to our residents — our most reliable references.

At East Ridge at Cutler Bay, we welcome visits to our community and provide tours.  To learn more, just call us at 1-877-217-9925.