Assisted living facilities are quite possibly the best option for seniors, since they are safe and allow seniors to maintain their quality of life, make new friends, and make the best of the time they have left. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about assisted living. Here, we expose and debunk seven common assisted living myths.
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Myth #1: Assisted living facilities have awful food
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This is not true at all. While it is true that the highly institutionalized nursing homes of the past did have awful food, the assisting living facilities of today are much different and often have talented chefs working for them. The food in assisted living facilities varies from average to good, and most seniors have no complaints about the food.
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Myth #2: “Assisted living facility” is just a better way of saying “nursing home”
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No, not true. There are many differences between assisted living facilities, which are a modern concept, and nursing homes, which have always been around. At nursing homes, seniors are under 24-hour medical supervision, with trained registered nurses looking after them. Nursing homes are for people who are not capable of living independently. Assisted living is about helping seniors live as independently as possible. Help will be made available to them should they need it. Seniors in assisted living facilities are generally younger than those in nursing homes.
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Myth #3: All costs related to assisted living are taken care of by Medicare
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No, not true. Assisted living facilities accept long-term care insurance or private payments only, and do not accept Medicare. Assisted living cannot be paid for by Medicare, since Medicare does not cover the non-skilled care services offered at assisted living facilities such as bathing, dressing, managing medications, etc.
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Myth #4: Living in an assisted living facility means losing privacy
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Not at all – assisted living actually offers more privacy than in-home care. Seniors are left undisturbed for the most part, unless they call for help. They have their own private television and telephone. Staff can enter their mini-apartments only with their permission.
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Myth #5: Assisted living is too expensive
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Not true at all. Living at home and hiring an in-home caregiver can actually be much more expensive, as you will need to worry about paying for the groceries, utility bills, property taxes, etc. You are spared of such expenses in assisted living and will have access to alternative funding such as Attendance for Veterans or Veteran Aid, which is made available to seniors or their families.
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Myth #6: In-home care is better than care at assisted living facilities
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No, not necessarily. For one, in-home care is more expensive since you will need to pay more for home caregivers. Plus, a hospital-like environment needs to be created at home, which is both inconvenient and expensive. Also, you may not get the same level of medical care at home compared to what you get at an assisted living facility.
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Myth #7: It is morally wrong not to take care of my loved one on my own
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This is perhaps the biggest misconception about assisted living. No, there is nothing wrong about admitting a loved one to an assisted living facility. Most adult children work very hard at their jobs, raise children and take care of so many things – it may be difficult for them to take care of their aging parents in the same way that a trained caregiver would. Also, older parents would rather live in assisted living where they can live independently, socalize with other people their age, and live an active life—with the knowledge that help is always available to them should they seek it.
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Right Fit Senior Living Solutions is a senior placement company serving the Beaverton and Portland area that helps you find the right senior living solution for your needs, such as assisted living, memory care, or in-home care.