Another "residence" for Seniors is going up on a corner in a very busy section of our town.
Down the highway, within a few miles of one another are three more "residential" or "continum care" communities.
"A Place For Mom" cites 50 Assisted Living, 33 Dementia Care facilities and I'm still researching how many Long Term Care Facilities there are in my area -- check out the DHSS for your state to get your info.
Many advertise as being "Assisted Living" and "Memory Care" -- that last one is the polite way of saying "Dementia Care"
The figures above do not include the many new builds popping up around town or the expansions of existing facilities.
The more we're willing to move out, move on, the more will be built. The less we educate ourselves and others about how to adapt and reconfigure our homes to accomodate aging, the more we'll "need" a "facility".
I find this dynamic growth in building and expanding interesting since Missouri proports to have a practice of helping Seniors and others with limitations and challenges to continue to live in their communities or return to the general population through their program known as "Money Follows The Person".
Even if you plan ahead, even if you "have the money", few faciliites provide the level of quality and service you're sold to exchange your property, your home, your savings, for the "guarantee" you'll always have a place "to live" once you reach the level where you'll need more "personal attention" and "monitoring".
MY ADVICE: Tour the Long Term Care portion of these facilities first and do more than a walk through. Attend daily activities, read their State Reports -- none are required from Independent Living, Assisted Living and even some "Dementia Units". The laws regarding even the low level of transparency now practiced only applies to "Nursing Home or Long Term Care Facilities".
CAUTION: Continuum of care is the next challenge to our economy if we don't ensure residences for those with medical and/or physical challenges, including low functioning individuals are more protected, we will have a crisis on our hands we've not seen since the School Crisis was brought to light.
We are living longer, many are living with better health or monitoring by family and friends.
Perhaps more should consider multigenerational living.
We did. It worked because everyone was a part of the family, was appreciated and was respected.
Those are the foundation blocks on which families are built and succeed.
