Adult Foster Homes & Residential Care
Adult Foster Homes are an underutilized option that many people overlook. Licensed and regulated by the State of Oregon, Adult foster homes are going to be your most affordable option, and in many cases the highest level of attention and detail is spent on residents living in this setting. With a maximum of five residents per home, operated in a residential setting, it’s easy to look in on someone on a very regular basis – providing individual attention that is sometimes missed in a large scale setting. Adult Foster Homes can accommodate a wide range of needs as well, everything from your basic activities of daily living to hospice and end-of-life care. Working closely with home health and the State of Oregon, Adult Foster Homes can provide the most home-like setting, seriously attentive care and companionship and they offer this all while providing the basics: medication management, food preparation, laundry service, activities, etc.
Assisted Living Communities
Assisted Living communities provide the highest level of independence while living in a care setting. They are also the most diverse in terms of what they include and accept. Some assisted-living facilities operate like a resort, and some are more regimented for the protection of their resident’s health and mobility. Some provide medication management and individual meal preparation, while some provide options to subscribe to these services for an additional expense. Some provide routine checks and others assume that you are fine unless you call for help. The most common considerations are: 24 hour security, basic housekeeping,
health and social programs, and access to medical services when necessary. Assisted Living facilities provide for the most independent living under one continuous roof and in most cases they try to keep their common areas looking very nice and inviting. You cannot however assume that you know what assisted living offers if you have not seen them all.
Memory Care Communities
Memory Care communities are often smaller than most assisted living settings. They are unique because they have locked doors rather than just alarmed doors when exiting, thus preventing folks from being able to leave when they want. This is important in consideration of behaviors that often occur as a result of having dementia and Alzheimer’s like wandering, sundowners, exit seeking, etc. When handling someone that suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's, you must consider what can happen if they leave their home and cannot remember where they live or how to return. Memory Care communities also tend to specialize in how to handle these behaviors. There’s typically extensive training used to help keep people happy, calm and engaged, rather than upsetting them when they cannot remember from one, week, day or minute to the next.
Nursing Home
Nursing Homes are skilled nursing facilities that serve as transitional care (or rehabilitation). They are generally not meant to be long term residential care, but can serve this purpose when assisting someone that needs skilled nursing on a daily basis. Nursing homes also offer respite care, wound care, and post-acute care. And unlike most residential care options, your physician may be willing and able to personally visit you while you’re staying in a nursing home.
This can also sometimes be provided or continued by Home Health in your own home, or your long-term community.