There comes a time when all the support from family and friends, as well as local programs, are no longer enough. At this point, people who require full-time help move to residential facilities that provide the type of care or services they need.
Some facilities will only offer you housing and housekeeping services, while others add medical services and personal care to the package. In addition, if you or your loved one in Massachusetts has any type of dementia, some nursing homes in Worcester County may offer special programs to suit your needs.
Here are various types of residential facilities for the sick:
Board and Care Homes
Also referred to as group homes or residential care homes, board and care homes are small private facilities consisting of 20 or fewer occupants. It can have private or shared rooms. The occupants get meals and personal care, and they have staff attending to them round the clock. Normally, medical care and nursing are not provided on site.
Assisted Living
This setting is suitable for anyone who needs daily personal care, but not as much care as the one provided in a nursing home. Assisted living facilities can accommodate between 25 and 150 residents, depending on the available facilities. They have various levels of care, meaning the more care you receive, the more you pay. Residents in this setting live in their private rooms or apartments while sharing common areas. They are open to services, such as laundry, housekeeping, medications, on-site staff, and recreational facilities.
Nursing Homes
Also referred to as skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes provide a wide range of personal care and health care services. However, their services are more medical care oriented than any other forms of assisted living facilities. They offer services, such as personal care, round the clock supervision, three meals a day, rehabilitation, speech therapy, and physical therapy.
Some patients spend a short time at the facility after leaving the hospital to get full recovery. However, other residents live in the facility permanently due to mental disorders or physical challenges, which require constant supervision and care.
Continuing Care Retirement Facility
These facilities offer different levels of services within the same location. Most of them provide private accommodation, skilled nursing care on site, and assisted living. Additionally, these facilities offer recreational programs and healthcare services as may be required.
Where you or your loved one will live will depend on the extent of assistance and services required. If you are no longer independent, you will be moved to an assisted living facility or receive care in their private living unit. If it is deemed necessary, you can be put under the continuing care retirement facility or nursing home.
Modern care facilities are a better reflection and improvement from the nursing homes perception in the past. The primary goal of these facilities is to help patients recover as soon as possible, so they can resume their normal lives. In the case of permanent patients, they ensure comfort and care to make the patients feel at home as much as possible. Do your research before deciding the best care facility for you or your loved one.