retirement living options Archives - Ventana Winds Retirement Community

If you are searching for “retirement living options” or “senior retirement living options”, this post should help!

Retirement Living Options

It doesn’t matter if you need help searching for the best retirement community for yourself or for a loved one, we can show you what to expect from various senior lifestyle options. We know that this may be a stressful time in your life, so we will try to make it easier for you. We will provide just the facts.

Senior living or senior care and housing happen to be a lifestyle choice for those who want an independent lifestyle with as much assistance that they require. The settings are very similar to our homes, but it has added advantages of entertainment, transportation, meals, housekeeping and even assistance with daily activities.

When do you know when it has come time to consider senior living?

You have noticed that doing daily activities have become difficult without the assistance of others. You are no longer able to drive because of vision loss or the onset of arthritis.
Cleaning your home is something that you are no longer able to physically do.
Shopping for yourself is hard because you become fatigued easily.
Your memory loss has finally reached a point where you need assistance for daily living that is safe. You could be living alone and just want company of other people.

Typically there are some seniors that have no issue taking care of themselves, but they just want to live among peers in an independent community that is more senior focused.

Take a look at a couple of these senior lifestyle choices.

Senior Retirement Living Options

There are 3 main options for senior living: Nursing Homes, Independent Living Communities, and Assisted Living Communities. There is a fourth option that requires a little more care which is for people who have dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease which is called Special Care Units or Memory Care.

Independent Living Communities

Independent Living Communities are places for healthy, active seniors who can live on their own. The main highlights of an independent living community are:

You can choose to either rent or buy.
Where you choose to live can be a mobile home, motor home, apartment, townhouse, or house.
Usually for people that are aged 55 or older.
Offers social activities, group meals, laundry service, and transportation.
Offers amenities such as security, housekeeping, yard maintenance, gyms, and clubhouses.
Has an on-site attendant.
The costs can be between $1,500 and $10,000 a month.

Assisted Living Communities

Assisted living typically requires different types of care. Assisted Living Communities are for those seniors who value independence but need a little help with every day activities like dressing, meals, medication, bathing and even transportation. The main features of assisted living communities are:

Has care for Alzheimer’s/dementia patients.
Emergency call systems are in-house.
Amenities such as transportation, social activities, exercise programs, laundry service, medication management, housekeeping and 24-hour security.
Staff is there for personal needs.
Three meals per day in a common dining area.
Can be a full sized apartment or single room/ studio.
Provides apartments or condos with 25 to 120 units.
Offers a median rate for a private one-bedroom apartment of around $2,580 per month.

Nursing Homes

Nursing Homes are for those who are unable to care for themselves but have no need for a hospital. Resident care could be for short-term rehabilitative care or for chronic conditions. Nursing homes provide around the clock care. Residents in nursing homes require more complex care. These services focus more on medical care more than assisted living facilities. The main features of nursing homes are:

The average cost for a semi-private room is around $200 per day.
The average cost for a private room is around $220 per day.
Medicare will normally not pay for nursing home care.
Medicaid will pay for care for 7 out of 10 residents in a nursing home.
It is a hospital like setting, but there are individual homes.
There is a nursing staff on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Special Care Units and Memory Care

Special Care Units and Memory Care are places that are for those that are suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Continuous, stimulating activities designed to improve the quality of life for our residents are offered each day in a nurturing and safe environment. The main features of memory care:

Average cost for Alzheimer’s memory care semi-private room is about $210 per day.
Average cost for Alzheimer’s memory care private room is about $250 per day.
There is a daytime staffing of 1 staff to 5 residents and a nighttime staffing of 1 staff to 9 residents.
Provides a full-time activities director who will schedule up to 60 hours of activities per week.
It fosters a therapeutic environment to keep residents as independent as possible.
It helps to provide behavioral management and active therapy.

Summary

As you can tell, for each situation, there will be a solution, and for every senior there will be a lifestyle option that will fit their requirements. These communities are just the beginning. There are many communities that are outdoor leisure focused, faith focused, active lifestyle focused, golf focused, and other activities that may interest a senior.

Once you have decided on the kind of community that you or your loved one will need, check out the extensive directory of various senior options.

Ventana Winds Offers Assisted Living & Memory Care In Youngtown, Arizona

Ventana Winds is offers assisted living and memory care services in Youngtown, Arizona. For More information about our facilities or to schedule a tour, please call us at (623) 624-4406.