When assessing the right senior living community for your parent, ensure that you are considering their current and future care needs. A senior living community that offers a continuum of care may be the best option if you want to ensure your parent doesn’t need to move again when their care needs care.
Optalis assisted living communities offer a continuum of care with rehab and skilled nursing services. Here’s why that matters when you’re choosing an assisted living community.
What Is Continuum of Care in a Senior Community?
Assisted living is a great fit for seniors who are for the most part independent but need a little help every now and again with things like transportation or remembering to take medication.
However, assisted living might not be the only care that you or a loved one will ever need. This AARP report on assisted living found that the average length of an assisted living stay “ranges from approximately 2.5 to 3 years.” At the end of that period, most residents moved to a community that provided skilled nursing care (also known as long-term care).
If you move to an Optalis assisted living community, we can meet residents’ needs all on one campus, even if their care needs change. Of course, long-term care isn’t the only option available to assisted living residents. If a resident in an assisted living apartment suffers a health setback that requires a hospital stay, they can receive post-hospital rehab services at the Optalis community they already call home. Once they are back on their feet, they can get right back to living in their former apartment.
Continuum of Care Means Fewer Disruptions
Yes, moving can be a hassle and some people would prefer to stay at home. But the fact is, it’s more likely than not that seniors will need some form of long-term care—and the likelihood of needing it only increases with age.
To put this into perspective, consider that 59% of all assisted living residents eventually move to a skilled nursing facility. Moving into an assisted living community with a continuum of care in place means that after the initial move, you will never have to worry about moving again if your needs change.
At an Optalis care community, if you ever need more care than assisted living can provide, you don’t need to pick up and move from one location to another. All you’ll have to do is switch rooms.
Continuous Community Living
Another benefit of living somewhere that offers multiple care services is the familiarity and sense of community such a place fosters.
We take the time to get to know each person. It’s a crucial part of our personalized healthcare approach. We get to know not just your healthcare needs, but also your personality, likes and dislikes.
If a resident begins in assisted living and moves to long-term care in the future, they will continue to be surrounded by familiar residents and staff. This can be enormously beneficial and comforting, not only to residents, but for their loved ones as well.
Assisted Living for Couples
Couples are more than welcome to live in our assisted living communities. But beyond that, the continuum of care we offer also allows for couples to remain close regardless of different care levels.
For example, let’s say that you are a good fit for assisted living. Your significant other, on the other hand, needs a little more assistance and is a better fit for long-term care. At an Optalis care community where both levels of care are available, you’ll be able live on the same campus and visit each other whenever you’d like, share meals together and participate in whichever activities and events you enjoy!
Senior Living Continuum of Care in Columbus Ohio
If you have any questions about a continuum of care senior living community, we’re here to help. You can contact us at any of our central Ohio locations or find out more about assisted living options.
