Assisted Living Overview
Assisted living is the best option when an individual requires help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, medication management, or meal preparation but still desires a level of independence in a supportive, community-focused environment. It is ideal for seniors who may struggle with mobility, memory issues, or chronic health conditions that make living alone unsafe or impractical.
Assisted living facilities provide personalized care, social opportunities, and access to healthcare services, offering peace of mind for both residents and their families. This option bridges the gap between independent living and full-time nursing care, ensuring safety, comfort, and quality of life.
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The following is a video transcript based on the section of Willow Cordain's recent live presentation (*video above) given at the Temple Beth Israel in Eugene, Oregon.
So now what we're going to do is talk about Assisted Living. And I know that a lot of you probably know you know. Yeah. What I know is what Independent Living is. I know what Assisted Living is. So I think let me just touch before I jump into assisted. Independent Living is not going to is going to give you notice at a certain point in your life potentially.
And, generally, when somebody gets an eviction notice from an Independent Living, it a lot of times is related to memory care. I would say because you do need to navigate large hallways. There's no real super small independent living. They tend to be large. You do, you're independent. So you need to remember to come down to meals on time. You need to remember to get onto that bus, to go to your doctor's appointment. You need to remember how to take your medications.
You also, you know, I had a funny ~I mean, it's not funny, but I had a story where a daughter said, well, they gave notice because mom was walking out in the hallway with her underwear, carrying her pots and pans. Right. She got pretty confused. And so she was behaviorally inappropriate for independent living, perfectly appropriate for memory care because they know how to redirect and help and all of that. Okay, so assisted living, assisted living is now really the meat of care, right? Assisted in memory care are the meat of the places that we are. We will likely move ourselves or our loved ones at a certain point.
So it is going back to that, boat analogy, the cruise ship that's docked. It's just that
instead of all the fun Love Boat stuff you have going on, you also have caregivers, you've got medication aids, you've got nurses, you've got much more staff that wrap around you. Now, the odd thing about this is that in independent living, you're paying
an apartment for, you know, let's say $3,500. Well, this is the opposite of normal real estate. So, in assisted living, you get the that goes down though size goes down. Maybe you're getting 550ft² for a one-bedroom and your price jacks were so it doesn't, you know.
But what you're paying for isn't the real estate.
You're paying for what wraps around you. So. You are going to have caregivers there 24/7. They're going to wrap around at nighttime. Right. So maybe you don't need any assistance during the day, but when you get a little confused when you're getting up at night, you keep having falls when you go home, right? Or when you're at home. So, you need to be able to press a button, which you can again have around your wrist or here. But it's not just for emergencies, it's for assistance. It's for I need help getting to the bathroom or it's for I can't reach the book up there.
Can you come help me get it?
It's not just for care, it's for, "I'm confused because I have a little memory loss."
I can't figure out my remote. Or just ~ I can't figure out my remote because it's confusing.
Right. So, can you come help me? And you know, the 18-year-old is going to do it much better than me.
Well, so, this is where you're going to have a studio option. You're going to have a one-bedroom option, you're gonna have a two-bedroom option. And assisted living is again in apartments. And oftentimes it's going to be a little not quite as big of building as well as apartment size than independent living. So, we're kind of going down again a little bit. The average square staff ratio is 1 to 17-ish. My happy place when I'm talking to clients is 1 to 15-ish. And it give or take a little there.
So when you're thinking about assisted living, the people that when you press that button, it's the caregiver that comes to you when you press that button, it isn't the nurse who comes to you. There's going to be a nurse there five days a week, not 24 over seven. That's expensive. That's a long-term nursing home, but they're going to be on call if you fall and hit your head and the MedTech doesn't know what to do, he can call her and get some advice.
Here at Willow Care
Willow Care is a local women-owned senior-living advisor agency (*sometimes called senior care agents or senior referral companies) providing free assistance in finding the most suitable senior care communities for families in the Eugene/Springfield area. Their services include personalized consultations to understand individual needs and preferences, expert guidance in navigating the senior care landscape, and compassionate support throughout the decision-making process.
The process and options can be quite overwhelming, we know this! And the real value we offer goes beyond what you learn when touring facilities alone. We have been part of these communities and this industry for decades and bring that expertise to help you and your unique situation. We help you understand the differences in quality care between independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing facilities (aka nursing homes), continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), home care, adult day care, and hospice care and what is the best option for you or your loved one.
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