When it comes to senior care options, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. When you combine this with the wide variety of elder care facilities available for all levels of senior living, sometimes it’s easy to get confused. Here’s a quick overview of how to differentiate between different types of senior care and the specific services they provide.
Assisted Living Encourages Independence
The best way to describe Assisted Living is as a good fit for seniors who don’t require constant care and can live independently with minimal support. What they often need assistance with are referred to as Activities of Daily Living, which include:
- Eating.
- Bathing.
- Dressing.
- Managing their medications.
Burton Court at Blakeford provides an independent lifestyle for seniors who need specific care and support. Our residents receive appropriate care for their level of need and have access to a wide variety of assisted living services that promote their physical and mental health, whole-person wellness, and sense of community.
Memory Care Provides Supervised, Structured Care For Dementia
Memory care services are specialized for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related conditions. It’s designed to provide a safe, structured environment with set routines to lower stress for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Services provided for seniors in Memory Care include:
- Staff ensures residents are getting to meals and remain active. Extra structure is provided to help them better navigate through the day.
- Activities are designed to improve cognitive function and engage residents who are at different stages of memory loss.
- 24-hour care and supervision where residents are checked on frequently.
- Assistance with Activities of Daily Living.
- Staff are specifically trained to work with seniors suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Residents are supervised more closely and their day has extra structure and support to help them throughout the day.
Burton Court at Blakeford Memory Care is the newest addition to Blakeford’s continuum of care and is slated to open this summer. This state-of-the-art facility will deliver quality care for seniors with Alzheimer’s and Dementia in a home-like setting. Our programming allows residents to pursue a variety of interests in a structured, calming environment. Staff are specially trained to help residents find comfort in a routine while enjoying old and new experiences.
Skilled Nursing Addresses Health, and Rehabilitation Needs
This level of care provides more generalized services to seniors who need around-the-clock medical treatment from a registered nurse or daily therapy services. A doctor may recommend skilled nursing to treat a loved one’s ongoing medical condition, or as a short-term stay to help them recover after hospitalization for injury or illness. Skilled nursing provides seniors with services including:
- Assistance with activities of daily living.
- Significant medical care, such as a specialized line for IV, medications, a ventilator, or respiratory therapy.
- Acute medical conditions caused by injuries, illnesses, or infection.
The Woodcrest at Blakeford Senior Rehabilitation Center focuses on restoring our residents’ strength, mobility, and confidence. Woodcrest’s clinical staff is trained in specialty protocols for cardiopulmonary, stroke, cognition, orthopedics, and wound care. When a resident’s stay at the center concludes, we coordinate the transition back to their previous placement and monitor their recovery to reduce the risk of rehospitalization.
How Do You Determine an Appropriate Level of Care?
The biggest differences between assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing are the levels of care a senior requires to age in place and maximize independence while taking into consideration their health and safety. At Blakeford Senior Living, we understand that our residents are all unique in terms of the levels of care they need. Our staff works diligently to identify and tailor the care we recommend and provide it in a way that looks at the whole person, not just a category of care.
If you have questions about which type of senior living would be best for you or a loved one, contact us today to have a conversation about how Blakeford Senior Living provides a continuum of compassionate care designed to serve seniors at every stage of life.