So, you’ve decided that the extra help available in an assisted living community is the solution you or a loved one have been looking for. Your next step is to find the best possible option. As you look for the ideal community, it can be helpful to know about the unique advantages of assisted living in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), which provides all the benefits of assisted living, plus the advantages of an on-site continuum of care. Here’s how it works:
The Many Benefits of Assisted Living
It’s not uncommon for older adults to get to a point where they could use a helping hand. Declining physical abilities can make once simple tasks like dressing, cooking, or other daily chores more challenging. For many, assisted living offers the perfect solution. Daily support and many other features ensure that seniors can get the help they need to enjoy a more active and independent life than they can at home or in independent living. Assisted living makes life easier, and more enjoyable, in a variety of ways, including:
- Help with activities of daily living (ADLs). Self-care tasks, like grooming, bathing, dressing, eating, and going to the bathroom, can be difficult if aging has affected physical abilities and mobility. In assisted living, round-the-clock staff ensure that help with these necessary tasks is always available, which can restore confidence in older adults who may have felt troubled by their loss of ability. Staff can also assist with medication management to help track prescriptions and ensure medication schedules are followed.
- Healthy lifestyle made easy. In an assisted living community, dining venues ensure that older adults who may have found grocery shopping or food preparation difficult on their own now have access to nourishing and delicious meals. In addition, wellness programs and fitness classes geared toward older adults make it easy to get the appropriate physical activity, which can be so important to maintaining health and well-being.
- Engaging activities. One of the drawbacks to remaining in the home as physical abilities decline is that older adults can become isolated, lonely and bored. In an assisted living community, interesting activities are just steps away, inviting residents to be as active, social and as busy as they want to be. Features like an art studio, game room, and lifelong learning programs provide residents with opportunities to pursue the hobbies they love, interact with friends and indulge their curiosity.
The CCRC Advantage
The “continuing care” in a continuing care retirement community refers to the fact that higher levels of care are available within the same community. That means that you can move into assisted living in a CCRC with the assurance that, if your health needs change, you’ll have access to the care you need without a disruptive move to another community. Higher levels of care, like memory care and skilled nursing, will provide the support you need in the community where you’ve made your home. These levels of care are open to all seniors, through direct admission, and require no entrance fee.
The Best of Both Worlds
At Legacy Pointe at UCF, you’ll find all the benefits of assisted living in a continuing care retirement community, and some additional perks, as well. Amenities and services like chef-prepared menus and a heated outdoor swimming pool add a touch of luxury, while our association with UCF’s Colleges of Medicine and Nursing allows us to offer the latest in wellness programming, creating customized care plans to support successful aging. To learn more about the newly opened assisted living at Legacy Pointe or the benefits of choosing a CCRC, contact us today.