The Differences Between An Independent And Assisted Senior Living Community

20 April 2022
 Categories: , Blog


Has the time come to look into a senior living community for a loved one, but you are not sure which one is best for them? If so, it will help to know the differences between independent living and assisted living.

Assisted Living

An assisted living community will have residences for seniors that offer assistance for their daily tasks. This includes things such as laundry, dining, housekeeping, transportation, and maintenance of their home. A lot of the physical labor intensive tasks will be taken care of for them, which they may not be able to do if they were living on their own.

In addition, they can get care over time as their needs change. This includes help with managing their medication, special nutrition that is needed for their diet, help with walking, and assistance with injuries in their old age. It includes many types of assistance that someone would hire a nurse to assist with by visiting their home, but it is provided as part of the community with 24/7 care. 

There are also many programs and social events for the residents to attend on site. There may be residents that want to participate in a weekly bingo game, or perform low impact exercise to stay mobile. 

Independent Living

An independent living community is a bit different, since as the name implies, they offer more independence than an assisted living community. It's possible that many types of care will not be offered at an independent living community because of this. For example, they typically do offer medication management, but both would still offer dining.

In general, independent living is for seniors that are still capable of enjoying a more active lifestyle. It is encouraged for residents to be part of the community, have family come visit, and to prompt social activity over all. There are often salons, fitness centers, and various social events for people to be involved in. It's perfect for seniors that want to not deal with home maintenance and live a more carefree life. 

The cost of an independent living facility will also be lower as a result of the residents having more independence. With fewer personal services being offered, it makes sense that the monthly costs associated with the facility are going to be lower as well. There is also the convenience of many costs being lumped into their monthly fee. 

Reach out to a local senior living community for more information about these two options.


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