Assisted Living near Merritt Island, FL

Assisted Living in Merritt Island, Florida

What Is Assisted Living?

Assisted living communities offer lodging and care to seniors who need some assistance with daily tasks like taking medications, making meals and keeping up with cleaning. Assisted living facilities can be found in all shapes and sizes, so touring them may be the best way to determine which one is most beneficial for you or your loved one.

What Services Are Offered in Assisted Living?

No one assisted living facility is similar to another. At a minimum, assisted living provides independently minded seniors foods and snacks, help with things like washing and dressing, and an array of activities such as wellness programs, social events, outings plus much more, all in a safe and secure environment among people their age.

What Are ADLs?

If you are considering assisted living, you’ve most likely run into the acronym ADLs, which stands for the Activities of Daily Living. These include:

• Bathing and showering
• Toileting
• Dressing
• Feeding (however, not meal planning)
• Continence
• Functional mobility, which includes getting back in and out of a bed or seat

Formulated in the 1950s, ADLs assess a person's overall health and function. Generally, older adults who can manage ADLs by themselves but who are considering a move to senior living could be better prospects for independent living. When you have questions about what care type is the best fit for your family member, call A Place for Mom. Our Senior Living Advisors can answer any questions you might have about assisted living, independent living, memory care, life plan communities and even more.

Assisted Living Vs. Nursing Homes

The term “assisted living” was initially found in the 1980s to describe a new sort of residential living for old adults that was obviously not the same as more traditional nursing home designs. Assisted living is designed for individuals who want some help with daily activities but who still expect level of independence and who want to reside in an apartment-like situation like a studio or a one-bedroom apartment. Many assisted living communities provide a full schedule of activities and events and offer multiple meal choices to cater to varied tastes and preferences, including special diets and restaurant-style options. Small pets are often permitted.

In comparison, the sign of nursing homes is that they provide skilled nursing care. They are created to meet the needs of seniors and others who have health challenges that necessitate 24x7 medical attention. Meals are usually served in a communal dining area and residents reside in private or shared bedrooms. Some nursing homes also give short-term rehabilitative care. Nursing homes today are also called convalescent care centers, nursing centers, skilled nursing communities and long-term care communities. Due to the fact that they provide more support, nursing homes are more costly than assisted living communities.

Both skilled nursing and assisted living facilities may provide memory care, which is specific support for individuals coping with cognitive impairment. In fact, 40% of the people who live in the state of Florida are currently living with some form of dementia, based on the National Center for Assisted Living. In general, people living with the earlier levels of Alzheimer’s or dementia are effectively supported by assisted living facilities while people living with later stages of dementia require the medical care of a nursing home.

What Is Assisted Living Like?

Whilst every community is definitely unique, below are a few attributes that almost all assisted living facilities share:

• They offer assorted degrees of care, occasionally at varied prices.
• They offer assorted living choices, from studios to one-bedroom apartments.
• Many allow people to bring their personal small pets, including birds, cats and in some instances smaller dogs.
• They focus on differing backgrounds, cultures and interests. Some facilities, for instance, are faith-based, while some are multi-lingual, with activities and dining options to match. Still more are designed for retired military or college alumni and may be even situated on or near university or college campuses.
• They may offer accommodations for couples as well as individuals.
• They range in size. Some communities have as few as 20 residents, while some many have more than 200.

With so many options to choose from, finding the right community can feel overwhelming. Our Senior Living Advisors will assist. They live in the areas they work in. When you talk with a Senior Living Advisor, she or he will ask a few pre-determined questions to better determine what you are interested in, what your budget is and what special desires your loved one may have. On top of that their assistance is no cost!

When Is It Time to Consider Assisted Living?

For anyone who is asking this question, chances are good that it’s time you find out more about senior living. Here are a few other hints that assisted living might be ideal for both your loved one and your family:

• You are concerned for your loved one’s health and safety.
• You are concerned they aren’t eating correctly.
• You feel concerned about them going out of the house by themselves.
• You notice they are spending much less time with friends and family.
• You receive a phone call or email from a next door neighbor who's worried about them.
• You discover that your loved one may have problems recalling people’s names or using a familiar technology like their cellular phone or TV remote.

If these or various other symptoms are worrying you, take action. Get in touch with A Place for Mom and speak to a Senior Living Advisor today. They are able to reply to your questions and help you figure out next steps. Best of all, their expertise is cost-free!

Assisted Living Inspections and Ratings

Florida supplies families with exceptional usage of its assisted living inspection and ratings information. Based on our state-by-state review of state records , Florida’s assisted living regulation and inspection system is among the most transparent in the country. To find the information of an assisted living community in the wider Merritt Island area, go to the FloridaHealthFinder.gov site and search by service type to obtain inspection reviews, licensure data, fines and activities assessed against the facility, availability of nursing staff, an emergency power plan overview and more.

The state of Florida requires that new assisted living residents have a medical exam within 30 days of move-in to assess an personalized care plan. The state also mandates a baseline number of weekly employee hours depending on the number of people who reside in a facility to make sure care plans will be accommodated.

10 Things to Look For When Touring an Assisted Living Facility

The simplest way to find out if an assisted living community is best for your loved one is to tour one -- or even better, four or five of them! Here are some factors to observe when you visit:

1. Does the personnel connect to the residents?
2. Is the community clean, odor-free and well taken care of?
3. Is there a process set up for evaluating the requirements of a new resident?
4. Can residents arrange for transportation if they need it?
5. Are the staff professional and respectful?
6. Are there specific visiting hours or are family and friends welcome anytime?
7. Does each resident possess a care plan in place?
8. What happens if a resident’s needs change?
9. Is there an emergency plan in place in case of a natural or manmade disaster?
10. Do the individuals who live there remind you of your family member?

For more tips on what to look for while visiting an assisted living community, see our Planning and Advice webpages.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Merritt Island, Florida?

Based on the A Place for Mom Senior Living Cost Index, assisted living in the city of Merritt Island, Florida ranges from $1750 to $6150 per month. The Senior Living Cost Index be determined by what A Place for Mom clients paid when they moved into senior living. It's the only price database of its kind. By giving these details, families can understand how much they might save in different regions of a particular metro area or perhaps a bordering state.

Ready to learn more? Visit our Senior Living Cost Index web page to discover what price ranges are in your town.

How to Pay for Senior Living In Merritt Island, Florida

How to finance assisted living is one of the most typical questions families have when they meet with one of our Senior Living Advisors. Here are some of the most common financing resources for senior living:

• Personal income or savings. If a senior does not have ample funds saved to cover long-term care, it’s common for families to pool funds to create up the difference.
• Home equity. Many times, seniors sell their places of residence to fund senior living. In some instances, a bridge loan could be available to help cover the price of moving while the house is prepared for sale.
• Long-term care insurance. This particular kind of insurance is designed to cover senior care expenditures. Some policies could cover various other expenditures which can be incurred through the transition to assisted living, such as for example acquiring a case manager or care coordinator.
• Veterans benefits. Many seniors have served in the military and may qualify for help and support. Because benefits go untouched, it’s worthwhile to check to see if your family member or his or her partner might meet the criteria. For more information, head to va.gov or see our Information to VA Benefits and Long-Term Care for more details.
• Sale of a life insurance policy. There are several methods to use life insurance to invest in senior living determined by the kind of policy you have. Consult a life insurance or financial advisor to learn about whether this program might work for your situation.

Many households expect that Medicare will assist pay for assisted living, but it can only cover short-term care. To learn more, go to Medicare's website.

Understanding Assisted Living Costs

Assisted living costs vary widely from facility to facility, so it pays to perform your research. Below are a few points that can influence how much you spend:

• Kind of residence
• Size of apartment (studio, one- or two-bedroom house)
• Types of services needed
• Geographical area
• Located area of the facility
• Level of luxuriousness

Assisted living communities frequently charge a set fee that covers many basic services, with additional fees added on for special services. Additional communities will charge a rate for each individual service, known as a la carte payment, so that residents only pay for the services they make use of. In most cases, the monthly base rate consists of only rent and meals, with care billed separately. Entrance costs and deposits are also frequently required. Charges and prices differ by community, so it’s essential to ask communities you are visiting about their costs and products and services.

For more details about assisted living costs and charge structures, call a Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom.

About Senior Living in Merritt Island, Florida

With its low tax rates and tropical climate, the state of Florida is among one of the most sought after places in the United States for seniors. The Area Agency on Aging for Florida offers a wealth of information for seniors and their own families. Contact A Place for Mom to find out more about the more than 32 assisted living facilities in Merritt Island, Florida.