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Senior HousingContents:
While Minnesotans are fortunate to have so many choices, there are some obvious pros and cons with a move to senior housing. Unfortunately, many people postpone such a decision until they are facing a crisis. When that happens, it is difficult for the older person and their family to explore the many options available, ensure they have accounted for all their needs and desires, and make the best informed choice for their situation. In addition, people moving from a private home to senior housing may experience a sense of loss due to change. Such losses could include the life memories they leave behind in their private home, the cherished garden they nurtured, or a neighbor they would see everyday. Two of the most common feelings experienced by older persons are the loss of independence they feel when moving from their long-time home, and the fear that they will be unable to make friends in their new setting. Although a move into senior housing can be a tough choice for older persons, there are tremendous benefits which such settings offer. One national study showed that an older person living in a senior housing community had an average life expectancy of four-and-one-half years longer than a comparable person living in a private home? There were three key reasons cited for the life expectancy increase among senior housing dwellers: 1)availability of needed health and supportive services; 2) well-balanced, nutritious meals provided on-site; and 3)opportunities for activities and frequent socialization. Such housing can compensate for some of the physical losses in life as a person ages, particularly when home maintenance tasks once taken for granted become a burden. Some seniors move just to avoid the mowing, painting, shoveling and other tasks home ownership entails. Others look to the security of a group setting, and all senior communities offer opportunities for socialization and companionship. This can be particularly important for those who have lost a spouse or are having problems getting out on their own. In many senior housing settings, the security of emergency call services is offered, along with health or supportive services as needed. Scheduled transportation to shopping and appointments, personal care with bathing, grooming and dressing, housekeeping and laundry services, meals, and medication reminder services are but some of the common options offered. Depending on the community, many other amenities may be available, including community rooms, beauty and barber shops, garden plots, exercise rooms, libraries, walking paths, and more!
Adult Foster Care homes (sometimes called "homes plus") are small, homelike settings serving no more than 5 persons. Families may provide adult foster care services in their own homes, or organizations may provide foster care services in homes using round-the-clock staff. They may offer a variety of supportive and health-related services and are licensed by counties for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Assisted Living services are a coordinated package of services, which include support services such as meals, housekeeping, transportation, escort and laundry, as well as home care services. These home care services must be provided by a licensed home care provider and may include personal care services such as help with dressing/grooming, bathing, medication reminders or medication administration, and nursing services. Minnesota' home care regulations allow for flexibility in the design of assisted living services, enabling programs to develop the service package that best suits the community and the people that will be served. Some programs limit the amount of services they provide, while others act as "alternatives to nursing homes" and provide a full range of home health care services. Some assisted living programs may offer services only during specified program hours, while others may have staff available to respond to un-scheduled needs on a 24-hour basis. Although three meals per day are provided by many assisted living programs, other assisted living programs in apartment buildings where residents have their own kitchens may offer only one or two congregate meals per day. The buildings offering assisted living services may vary in size and type and include corporate adult foster care settings, board and lodging establishments (without individual kitchens), non-certified boarding care homes and apartment buildings. Apartment buildings designed primarily to serve independent seniors may offer assisted living services to those residents who need assistance, while other apartment buildings have been designed specifically as assisted living settings and feature down-sized, private apartments with individual kitchens or kitchenettes. Board and Lodging settings may vary greatly in size, some resembling small homes and others more like large apartment buildings. Residents have private or shared rooms, but do not have individual kitchens. These settings are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health (or by a local health department). In addition to three meals per day, many offer a variety of supportive services (such as housekeeping and personal laundry) or home care services (such as help with dressing and bathing, medication administration, etc.) to residents. Condominiums offer ownership housing in an apartment-style building or townhouse-style complex. Condo residents hold title to their own living unit and share ownership of the common areas with other owners in the development. Continuing Care Retirement Communities are campus-style developments offering a range of housing and long-term care services to the residents. Residents pay an entrance fee as well as a monthly fee for a package of services specified in the residents' contract, which includes a residence, services and nursing care when needed. Cooperatives are another form of ownership housing in a multi-family building or complex. The development is owned by a corporation on behalf of the occupants, who buy shares in the corporation in exchange for the right to occupy a specific living unit. Federally-Subsidized Rental buildings serve low-income people and vary in size and type. Some are privately-owned buildings (e.g., Section 202, 236 or 8 and Farmer's Home 515 buildings), while public housing buildings are owned by city or county public housing authorities. A few subsidized buildings offer a coordinated assisted living program for their residents. A few developers and communities have used tax credits and local resources, rather than federal subsidies, to provide housing for low-income people. Housing-with-Services settings include a variety of types of buildings (e.g., market rate rental apartment, subsidized apartment, board and lodging establishment, adult foster care home, non-certified boarding care homes) that offer or provide for a fee either:
Since August 1, 1996 all housing-with-services settings must have a written contract with each resident and must register annually with the Minnesota Department of Health. Any health-related service in housing-with-services buildings must be provided by a licensed home care provider or under another appropriate license. Market Rate Rental housing has no government rental subsidy; thus, the rent levels are determined by the real estate market. Although some of these buildings offer few services, others offer a broad range of services such as meals, housekeeping, transportation, service coordination and assisted living services. Non-Certified Boarding Care Homes are licensed as health care facilities by the Minnesota Department of Health, but they are often quite homelike and may seem more like an assisted living setting. They offer personal care and supportive services, but not skilled nursing care. Unlike other boarding care homes, these homes are not certified to participate in the Medicaid program, although qualifying residents may receive Medicaid waiver services provided under a home care license. Other Names, such as Cottages and Townhomes, are sometimes used to describe types of senior housing. No matter what name is used, senior housing will either be (1) rental or (2) ownership housing (e.g., condo or coop-type). It may be classified as an "apartment" if it offers residents a distinct living unit with a kitchen, or may fall into one of the other types of senior developments described above. Source: Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance |
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Look for this seal to find providers who have adopted the Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance Housing-with-Services Code of Ethics. These organizations have agreed to standards for the quality of care and open communications that residents and their families should expect. By adopting the Code of Ethics, they pledge to strive to provide high quality services and to operate under principles that will earn your trust.|
Aging Services of Minnesota 2550 University Avenue West, Suite 350S, St. Paul, MN 55114-1900 Phone: 651.645.4545 Toll Free: 800.462.5368 Fax: 651.645.0002 |
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