Assisted Living in Provo Utah,

What is Assisted Living and is it right for my loved one?

If you have an elderly loved one who is starting to struggle with some of the activities of daily living (ADLs) then assisted living may be the option for you. Assisted living facilities provide an important role in offering services to seniors who are no longer able to handle ADLs, yet do not need the extensive care provided by nursing homes. Basic ADLs include:

Eating

Using the restroom

Bathing

Dressing

Grooming

In addition to the ADLs there are also the tasks of daily living or instrumental ADLs that seniors may need help with. These include:

Transportation

Housekeeping

Shopping

Money Management

Laundry

Cooking

Home Maintenance

Taking Medication

An assisted living center can eliminate the anxiety you or your loved one may have with trying to handle all of these necessary tasks. In addition to providing a safe and secure environment can help improve the physical and mental well being of their elderly residents. Isolated seniors in who enter an assisted living center can often see marked improvement in many areas as they enter a positive environment with their peers. Such benefits include:

Better eating

More exercise

New friendships

More social interaction

Engaging Entertainment

Perhaps the greatest benefit of assisted living is knowing that 24-hour assistance is available for your loved one. If they were to fall or face any traumatic medical condition help is readily available.

What is the cost of Assisted Living?

Assisted living can vary in cost from $1,500 - $6,000 a month. This range comes from a variety of additional services that can be added on to the basic services included at care centers. Basic services for most centers include:

Lodging

Utilities

Housekeeping

A Meal Plan

Additional services may include:

Parking

Extra activities

Additional meals

Higher levels of personal care

Salon services

Typically the resident is responsible for paying the monthly fees at an assisted living center. In many instances family members will also contribute to the costs if needed. Generally Medicare and Medicade will not pay for any assisted living expenses, except with the possibility of a short stay following a needed medical procedure.

It is important to realize that there are some expenses you will no longer have to worry about when you start paying for assisted living. For example, the resident may no longer need to pay for utilities and home upkeep.

How do I select a quality Assisted Living center?

Think of the time and care you would put into purchasing a new home. This same level of diligence should be applied when selecting a care center for a loved one. It is important to visit lots of different care centers and ask them a variety of questions. Ask yourself what features are most important to you. Will the center make daily room checks? Will they deliver meals to rooms? Do they allow pets? Will they put a contract on hold? Make sure you understand all of the costs associated with each facility and its services as well.

Another important resource is the state website. Go to health.utah.gov/hflcra and then click on the "Report Card" tab on the left side for a listing of all the available care centers and their ratings. For additional help in finding the best assisted living center in Provo and a free 5 min video visit www.bestassistedlivingprovo.com.