When you or a loved one reaches a point where you need a bit of help from day to day, you might start searching for a facility for assisted living in Aliso Viejo or elsewhere in Orange County. There are many different types of facilities and services available, and it’s important for families to understand the different levels of care provided at each facility.
At most homes for assisted living in Aliso Viejo, you will find residents needing different levels of care. For some, they choose assisted living because they no longer wish to live alone and no longer want to handle household chores, meal prep, laundry and related tasks. These services also can be provided at some retirement communities, which might not provide assisted living services beyond housekeeping, laundry and meals.
However, in general, people turn to assisted living in Aliso Viejo because they face certain mobility issues. For some older adults, they might have arthritis or perhaps have lingering after effects from a stroke. This can make daily chores such as dressing and grooming quite difficult to manage and can make it nearly impossible to handle more strenuous chores such as cleaning, doing laundry and cooking.
Assisted living in Aliso Viejo can be an excellent fit for these people, because all of these chores are handled. You don’t have to clean, and three meals per day and snacks are provided, and there should be weekly laundry services as well. Employees also can help you with tasks such as getting dressed or brushing your hair or even bathing or toileting if you are bit unsteady and need help with these tasks.
In addition, there usually is someone on hand to help with medication management. As we age, everyone tends to take more than one medication and remembering when to take each one and whether or not you have to eat or not eat, can be tricky. At a community for assisted living in Aliso Viejo, this is a service that can be very helpful.
Many facilities for assisted living in Aliso Viejo also have a portion of the community dedicated for memory care. This is for people facing issues with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at varying levels. These assisted living services will include help with daily chores and includes meals and medication management, but the staff also is specially trained to handle residents with dementia, and the apartments and common areas tend to be a bit more secure.
An assisted living facility does not provide any medical care beyond medication management although some facilities do have a nurse on staff. If you or your loved one needs constant medical care, a skilled nursing facility or nursing home is a better fit for these individuals.
When selecting assisted living in Aliso Viejo, it is important to understand exactly what is included in the monthly fees. Most include weekly housekeeping, weekly laundry service and three meals per day as well as the use of your rental apartment. In addition, some activities also will be included.
At some homes for assisted living in Aliso Viejo, daily grooming help, bathing help, toileting help and medication management also are included. In some cases, these are not included and if you need these services, there will be extra fees charged. For those who need memory care, the fees and included services also might be different from what is included with general assisted living. This is why it is so important to understand precisely what is included and to get it in writing.
It also is important to think about the future. Many people move into assisted living in Aliso Viejo needing very little extra help. However, as time passes, you might need to add on services. Understanding these costs and what is included can help you plan for the future.
There are many excellent communities for assisted living in Aliso Viejo and throughout Orange County. At Care Placement, we will provide you with a list of facilities that meet your needs and budgets. We are a free eldercare placement service specializing in helping people find facilities in Orange County and San Diego County. To get started, simply click on the Assess Your Needs tab on our homepage and fill out a short questionnaire. One of our advisors will then give you a call to further discuss your options.