Assisted Living near Blue Island, IL

Assisted Living in Blue Island, Illinois

What Is Assisted Living?

Assisted living is a kind of senior care and housing which offers residents support for activities of daily living (ADLs). Residents typically receive support for bathing, dressing, medication supervision, and meals. Different from a skilled nursing community where residents receive around-the-clock nursing care, assisted living communities give residents access to care while also offering an array of activities and services in a community setting. Some assisted living communities provide support for seniors with specific medical necessities such as for example cognitive loss because of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, diabetes, or incontinence care.

In case you are unsure about what kind of care your cherished one needs, consult with a medical expert who can help you decide on the best sort of care. Additionally, our Senior Living Advisors are available to answer all of your inquiries and help you find a senior care facility that meets your needs.

What Is Senior Living Like in Blue Island, IL?

Boasting four distinct seasons and gorgeous Midwest landscapes, Illinois is a beautiful location to retire. Home to one of the world’s largest airports, retiring in Illinois offers your friends and relations a convenient location to visit, while likewise giving you easy access to world travel.

With regards to choosing senior living, there are many things to consider, from the level of attention and support to way of living, location and more. Blue Island, IL offers many options to help you make a confident and educated decision for your family.

• 55+ Apartments/Senior Apartments: Also referred to as adult communities, age-restricted apartments, and senior condos. Senior apartments are simply like apartments for folks of all ages, but have an age restriction; typically residents are required to be older than 55 or 62. Older adults quite often feel more secure in senior apartments and prefer living around persons from their own generation.
• Independent Living: Independent living is a type of senior housing for seniors who now live independently but want to live in a community setting with additional seniors. This type of senior housing typically has community events, activities, outings, and oftentimes has transitional programs for seniors who ultimately need assisted living.
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs): Continuing care retirement communities are retirement facilities with accommodations for independent living, assisted living and nursing home care, giving seniors a continuum of health care. An individual can spend the remainder of his life in a CCRC or life plan community, moving between degrees of care as needed. This type of arrangement is also called “aging in place,” although it does require departing one’s original residence.
• Adult Day Care: Adult day care can offer respite care for caregivers who are still working while also caring for a loved one. That is a great solution for caregivers and seniors searching for ways to remain busy and involved while living in the home and getting home care services.
• Residential Care Home/Board and Care: Care homes are typical homes in residential neighborhoods that have been adapted to look after a small group of residents. Offering services similar to assisted living facilities, care homes specialize in providing individualized care in a home-like setting.
• Assisted Living: Assisted living gives residents assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, personal grooming, medication supervision, and more. Amenities and services can range greatly but typically there is staff on hand around the clock to help residents with necessities as they arise. Residents likewise routinely have a care plan that is frequently monitored and adapted as needs change as time passes.
• Memory Care: This kind of care can be for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. These communities are usually specifically planned so that residents do not get lost or wander. They provide dementia-friendly meal plans and life enhancing activities that encourage engagement and personal interaction.
• Nursing Homes/Skilled Nursing Facilities: Nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities, are for seniors who need the highest level of 24- hour attention, including those people who are bedridden. Nursing homes are also utilized by seniors for rehabilitation after a hospitalization.
• Respite Care/Short-Term Stay Respite: This care typically refers to a short-term stay at a long-term care community. Respite care may also make reference to in-home caregiving services used for simply a short period. Family caregivers utilize respite services when they need a break or have other obligations.
• Hospice Care: Hospice care can assist the terminally ill and their families make the most of the last days of their lives. Rooted in the term “hospitality,” hospice is not a place, but a philosophy of care that embraces death as a natural part of life, and seeks to support individuals meet this end with dignity and grace. This means comforting the patient psychologically and physically while supporting their relatives as they navigate any end of life decisions.

What Services Are Available?

The options and services provided in senior living may differ substantially from community to facility. However, most communities offer studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments, activities, meal plans, transportation, and other services.

Other services often found in assisted living include:

• Access to medical services
• Access to therapies on-site and off-site
• Exercise and nutrition programs
• Housekeeping services
• Medication management

How Do I Tour Assisted Living Facilities?

Blue Island has 50 communities in the local area so it is essential to tour several assisted living communities before finding the right one for your senior family member. That way you'll discover what options can be found and will have an easier time narrowing down your alternatives. Call or email A Place for Mom and we will help you arrange a visit at your preferred community.

Here are some of the top questions you need to be ready to ask throughout your walk through:

• Are there any outdoor spaces that residents can enjoy? If so, are they kept neat and tidy?
• Can your staff give medicine?
• Do you have a nurse on-site 24/7?
• Do you include your services in the monthly price? If not, how much are extra services?
• Does your policy require a preliminary evaluation before move in?
• Is there a waitlist? If so, how many persons are currently on it?
• What apartment types are available and what exactly are their price ranges?
• What are the current residents like?
• What exactly are your billing and payment policies and procedures?
• What is the staff-to-resident ratio? Are the staff members interested? Friendly?
• What is your release plan?
• What kind of knowledge do your personnel have?
• It's also advisable to pay close attention to any occupants you meet or pass while you’re there. Do they seem content and are they cared for well?

Will Medicare Pay for Assisted Living?

According to Medicare.gov, “Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities and people with End-Stage Renal Disease.”

Medicare covers only short-term, non-custodial care. As a consequence you cannot use Medicare to cover long-term nursing home stays or assisted living. Medicare covers medically necessary skilled care at a nursing home if you want short-term skilled care for an illness or injury and you meet certain conditions.

How Can I View Assisted Living Inspections and Ratings in Illinois?

The state of Illinois offers great access to its assisted living facility data through its Department of Social Services website. Info open to review includes licensed assisted living communities that are updated frequently, and information regarding assisted living licensing and violations.

In the state of Illinois, assisted living facilities are required by law to:

• Have a license if housing 17 or even more unrelated individuals
• Have over 80% of residents be 55 years old or older
• Provide each resident with a written service plan that includes a doctor’s assessment and evaluation
• Provide personal and health services 24 hours per day with staff assisting with personal needs such as dressing, eating, and hygiene

How Do I Choose the Right Assisted Living Community?

Choosing the best community for your senior family member is usually one of the most important decisions you can make. During your visit, consider the caliber of health care that your family member may receive. Your choice of “if, when and where to move” resides specifically with you as well as your family member, so think about what criteria are ultimately important to you and your loved one.

• Activities: It’s a good idea to try and schedule your tour together with community get-togethers. Ask the manager if you can look at the activities or even get involved. Are the activities and occasions well attended? Does the personnel seem to be enjoying the entertainment as well? Take a look at the facility calendar of occasions. Do they match your loved one’s likes and dislikes? Do the activities and events vary in size and type? Do they feature excursions and trips from the facility? If it's important to yourself, don’t forget to inquire about spiritual services.
• Cleanliness: Does the community feel clean and fresh? Be sure to look past the furniture and into baseboards, corners, and windows. Ask how often housekeeping services are provided in the private living area. Be sure you get complete details on the types of maintenance provided and the approximated response times. Don’t forget to ask about laundry procedures. Ask for specifics on what's made available and at what cost.
• Friendliness: The attitude and friendliness of the personnel are of the utmost importance. Make sure that you observe some personnel communicating with current occupants. Do they listen and make eye contact? Be sure to receive a good understanding of the staffing routine. Just how many people are actually involved in residents’ care? Be sure you get an introduction to the management team. This can help you understand the goals and objectives of the community. It is important that you have confidence in the facility’s staff.
• Meals: Much like most of us, the dining room experience is very important to seniors. When visiting facilities, it is important to discuss entree choices and learn about dining hours, alternatives, and procedures. Be sure to and your family member enjoy a meal at facility. Not only is it a great way to try the cooking, but it’s an excellent opportunity to meet other people. Make sure to discuss what happens if a resident is not able to make it to the dining area for meals.
• Reputation: Ask residents and families, past and present, for their honest opinions about the facility. Many communities have a resident council that will be happy to reply all of your concerns. Visit our website to read over a number of the 933 reviews from families who have shared their impressions of individual facilities.
• Security and safety: Safety and security features are extremely important and provide reassurance for the caregiver. Make sure that bathrooms are accessible and have grab bars in convenient locations. Ask how residents call the staff if indeed they have an emergency within their living area. Learn about other security features available in living quarters and through the entire community. Make sure you find out about staffing schedules to determine who is on-site at all times to help residents. Are there registered nurses on-site? How do staffing schedules differ during the night? How does the facility assist or manage residents’ medication needs?
• Trust your gut: As you are visiting, make sure you consider yourself or your family member essentially living at the facility. Can you imagine your family member being secure? Do you really feel at ease? Are the personnel and residents amenable, welcoming and cheerful?

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Blue Island, Illinois?

The A Place for Mom Senior Living Cost Index states that the typical cost of assisted living in the Blue Island area ranged from $1500 to $10880 per month. Costs for assisted living communities may differ widely based on features, location, and services, as a result looking into nearby suburbs and towns could give you further flexibility.

How to Pay for Assisted Living

Many families pay for a move to assisted living through the sale of a home or personal savings, but for some people, this may not be an option. Here are three additional resources that will assist you pay for assisted living:

1. Life Insurance Policies: If the parent or senior loved one you are helping move into assisted living has a life insurance policy, you may well be in a position to liquidate the insurance plan and obtain the funds today. Different regulations and limitations apply depending on the type of insurance policy you have, so contact a financial advisor or eldercare legal professional to find out more about your options and to determine what’s most effective for your situation.
2. Reverse Mortgages: For senior couples who may have different health care requirements, a reverse mortgage could be a good approach for one person to move into assisted living while another resides at home while his or her spouse transitions to senior living. A reverse mortgage enables homeowners aged 62 or older to borrow against their home equity. To learn more, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to find a reverse mortgage counseling agency near you or contact the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
3. Veterans Benefits: Many seniors may qualify for veterans benefits that they don’t know about. One benefit, in particular, Aid & Attendance, has helped many families afford assisted living. To qualify, veterans must be at least 65 years old and have served at least 90 days of active duty, with at least 1 day during what the Veterans Administration considers active wartime periods. Qualifying widows and widowers of veterans may also be able to receive benefits. With the existing average age of U.S. veterans at 64 years old, it’s worth it to discover if your loved one may be eligible for benefits. To find out about benefits for veterans, see our “Guide to VA Benefits and Long-Term Care,” contact the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs or check out www.va.gov.

For even more ideas about the best way to pay for your move to senior living, contact A Place for Mom to speak to a Senior Living Advisor today.

5 Questions to Ask an Assisted Living Facility

Choosing the best assisted living facility is a major decision, both for a senior and for their family.

Here are five points to consider when considering making the move to assisted living:

1. How many staff are on hand to assist at night? Some assisted living facilities provide 24x7 nursing staff, while others may have more generalized help on hand after hours.
2. Will there be a waitlist? Popular facilities can fill up fast. If the one you like is not available, inquire about the waitlist and what the community’s plan is for administering it. Many communities will ask for a deposit and some communities have internal lists for special health care needs. Here is where doing all your homework can actually pay back - plan ahead!
3. Will there be a patio space? For many residents making the transition from a private home to assisted living means giving up a beloved lawn or outdoor area, so gaining access to a gardening area, a patio or a courtyard is usually beneficial. Many larger assisted living facilities offer a selection of outdoor space, with features such as for example BBQ spaces, gardens, and strolling paths for community events.
4. What is the staff-to-resident ratio? Will this facility give your cherished one with the help and support they need? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 25% of assisted living communities have a ratio of one personal care assistants for each and every 23 residents. Staffing can vary widely depending on the size of the facility, so make sure to ask about the features you are searching for.
5. What services are within the monthly cost? Before signing the agreement, it’s smart to understand what is included in the basic charge arrangement and what might incur an extra cost. Some facilities employ a fee-for-service model, or a la carte pricing, this means they ask for a monthly charge for rent and meals but additional costs for things such as medication management. Others may use a tiered pricing model where different degrees of service are charged different service fees.

What Else Should I Consider When Choosing a Community?

With so many options to choose from, choosing the best assisted living facility can seem like a daunting task. That’s where our Senior Living Advisors can assist - they are specialists in helping match seniors to the communities that are the best fit for their care requirements, personality, and budget.

Here are some things to take into account during your search:

• Make sure to look for your family member, not you. Today’s assisted living communities offer everything from homey conditions to upscale resort-style five star living. It is easy to come to be tempted by the features and amenities you may decide for yourself, but finally it comes down to what will function best for your family member.
• Concentrate on the present, not the past. Will your loved one need help washing and dressing? Do they have special requirements like limited eye-sight or special meal plans? Would they enjoy the perks of a larger facility or be more comfortable in a smaller, more intimate setting? Think about the here and now, not what might have been their decision ten or 15 years ago.
• Arrange to see at least 3 to 5 facilities, when you can. Start with scheduled tours and consider having a meal with the residents. If none of the places seem like a good fit, ask your Senior Living Advisor for more alternatives. And don’t hesitate to ask questions and take notes while you’re there.

The process of deciding on the best assisted living facility can be difficult, but there are resources that can help. Call A Place for Mom today - we can help save you money and time and make it easier for you make a good choice.