Senior housing communities offer seniors a place to call their own and live their golden years while getting the care they deserve. There are many different options for seniors depending on the level of care they need. Deciding which type of senior community is right for your loved one can be difficult. Luckily, Southern California Senior Resources is here to help.

Nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or convalescent hospitals, are typically what people picture when they think of senior housing. These communities specialize in providing care for seniors who need a high level of medical care (e.g., feeding tubes, treatment of open bedsores and diabetic care). Nursing homes are allowed to receive funding from Medicare and Medi-Cal for resident healthcare and housing costs.

A majority of seniors do not require the specialized healthcare that nursing homes provide. They just need a community that will help them with some of their activities of daily living, (e.g., bathing, grooming and medication management). That is when assisted living communities may be the right option. These communities are going to feel more homelike than a nursing home. The senior has his or her own apartment but receives help with daily meals, laundry, housekeeping, transportation and activities.

Nursing homes and assisted living communities can also provide specialized services such as, respite care, hospice care, and Alzheimer’s/dementia care.

For seniors who are still completely independent but want to live in a community with their peers, there are retirement homes and independent living communities. These communities offer many of the amenities of an assisted living community but do not help residents with their activities of daily living.

Another option for senior housing is continuing care retirement communities (CCRC). These communities have everything from independent living to skilled nursing all in one place. Seniors can move in while they are still independent and stay even when their care level requires a nursing home. These communities require that residents pay a large community fee to enter as well as monthly rent payments or seniors may opt to turn their estate over to the community to pay for the housing and continuing healthcare costs.

We hope you find the senior housing information here helpful and you contact us to help you find senior housing for your elderly loved one.