For many seniors, there comes a point when living all alone simply isn’t an option. They need reassurance that, if something happens, someone will be close by to help them in their time of need.
Senior Health Care Solutions’ personal care residences are often the best choice for older individuals who need assistance but still value their independence and privacy. We know that nothing is more important to you than feeling comfortable and confident with the place your elderly family members call home.
With that in mind, we put together this helpful guide to what personal care residencies are and how to determine if they’re the best fit for your loved one.
Personal Care Home vs. Assisted Living Residence
The terms “personal care home” and “assisting living residence” are easy to confuse. However, under Pennsylvania law as of 2011, there are subtle yet important differences between the two that are worth noting.
Both personal care homes and assisted living residences provide seniors with 24-hour assistance delivered by certified care attendants. Residents at these facilities receive help bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, taking medications, and participating in activities.
Additionally, recreational programming helps to keep residents occupied, engaged, and motivated within a positive, social environment. Personal care homes and assisted living residences both house many seniors at once, while still offering space for privacy.
When considering which option is best for an elderly loved one, being able to distinguish between them is extremely helpful. Based on your family member’s needs and capabilities, one may be more beneficial than the others.
What is a Personal Care Home?
A personal care home or personal care residency is a home-like communal living facility designed to help seniors who can no longer live alone due to physical limitations, but who require only minimal nursing support.
This means that when residents at a personal care home require specialized nursing care, such as cardiac recovery services or renal disease services, the appropriate healthcare professional may be brought into the facility from outside, or the resident may be discharged from the facility in order to stay at a dedicated off-site medical treatment center.
While Senior Health Carte Solutions’ personal care residencies include such features as a 24-hour nurse call system and on-site physician, personal care residencies in general are not designed to meet the needs of seniors with increased care needs.
What is an Assisted Living Residence?
An assisted living residence or assisted living facility is very similar to a personal care home, to the point where the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, assisted living residences are more highly regulated.
The purpose of an assisted living residence is to provide seniors with a comfortable housing option where they can “age in place.” This means offering more specialized treatment options for chronic medical conditions on-site, with individualized treatment plans and health-monitoring services overseen by licensed nurses.
Additionally, assisted living facilities are required by Pennsylvania law to provide or arrange for supplemental services to meet the needs of residents as their condition progresses over time. These services include hospice, physical and occupational therapy, and more. For seniors who have no present need for this level of care, a primary care home is often the best choice.
We Are Proud to Offer High-Quality Personal Care Services
At Senior Health Care Solutions, our goal is to provide a wide variety of care and treatment options to meet the unique needs of many different patients. Whatever your elderly family members require, we can help.
If you have a loved one of advanced age who needs help from time to time, but is still able to enjoy a degree of independence and is in relatively good health, Senior Health Care Solutions is proud to offer personal care services at our Heritage Mills, Sayre, and Delaware Valley locations. For more information about these and the many other housing and treatment services we provide, contact Senior Health Care Solutions today!
Leave a Reply