Moving from place to place can be a hassle, especially for seniors. As they age, often the required level of care increases. With increased care, many elders are forced to relocate to a senior care facility that can accommodate their needs. If your senior parent wishes to live their life in one place, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) may be an ideal option for them.
AgingCare.com interviewed Donna Phillips, vice president of member and network services for the National Council on Aging, to discuss continuing care retirement communities.
What is a continuing care retirement community?
A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) can be either a single building or an entire campus devoted to the continuum of care for seniors. Care level options include independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. Elders usually have the luxury of living in the same apartment or house while living independently or in assisted living; however, once the elder moves into skilled nursing, they usually move to a different part of the building or campus.
What services are offered?
Like most senior living communities, CCRCs offer meal and dining plans, transportation, activities, and health and wellness services. Some communities offer additional living services for residents including rehabilitation programs, adult day care and memory care units to accommodate all residents as their needs change.
Rehabilitation programs are usually confined to the skilled nursing section of the community and aim to allow an injured resident the luxury of recovering at home. Rehabilitation is confined to nursing because patients require an extensive amount of care, including personal and medical. A resident living independently may get injured and need rehabilitation. During recovery, the resident may need assistance with daily living activities like bathing and dressing, in addition to the required medical care. Medical care in rehabilitation includes wound care and physical, occupational and/or speech therapy.
Adult day care and memory care units are usually offered within the assisted living section of a CCRC. Adult day care is reserved for memory impaired elders, such as those with Alzheimer's or dementia, who cannot be by themselves during the day; the community provides a private duty caregiver for the day. Most residents that use adult day care have spouses who care for them in the evenings. In contrast, memory care units differ in that they provide around the clock supervision for memory impaired residents. Residents live in the unit and do not leave the unit without an escort; this is done for their safety. Most residents who live in memory care units do not have a spouse and therefore need 24 hour care from the community's staff.