Assisted Living

"Assisted Living" means a coordinated array of supportive personal and health services which are available 24 hours per day to residents who have been assessed to need these services, including residents who require formal, long-term care. These are provided in a setting that is home-like, not institutional.

Assisted living promotes each resident's self-direction and participation in decisions that emphasize:

Independence		Individuality
	Dignity
Privacy		Choice

Here are two definitions that are often recognized in the Assisted Living industry.

"A special combination of housing, supportive services, personal assistance, and health care designed to respond to the individual needs of those who need help with activities of daily living. Supportive services are available, 24 hours a day, to meet scheduled and unscheduled need, in a way that promotes maximum dignity and independence for each resident and involves the resident's family, neighbors, and friends."

[Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)]

"Assisted Living housing represents a model of residential long-term care. It is a housing alternative based on the concept of outfitting a residential environment with professionally delivered personal-care services in a way that avoids institutionalization and keeps older, frail individuals independent for as long as possible."

[Victor Regnier, author of Assisted living for the Aged and Frail]

There are Nine Essential Characteristics of an Assisted Living Home:

1.	Appear residential in character having the look and feel of a home.
2.	Be perceived as small in scale and size; non-institutional.
3.	Provide residential privacy and completeness. Living units including a full bathroom and sometimes a cooking area, in keeping with the residential characters.
4.	Recognize the uniqueness of each resident.
5.	Foster independence, interdependence, and individuality. Residents' existing functional abilities are maximized, and dependency is minimized. Residents are provided with only the help they need.
6.	Focus on health maintenance, physical movement, and mental stimulation.
7.	Support family involvement. Families are involved with resident care, sharing responsibility with the Assisted Living home.
8.	Maintain connections with the surrounding community.
9.	Serve the frail. Assisted Living serves the aged and frail, especially those in danger of institutionalization.