When looking into communities to join later in life, it’s important to know the difference between independent living vs. assisted living so that you can move into a place that addresses all your needs. There are many differences between assisted living and independent living. While independent living is a good choice for people of retirement age who just wish to socialize more in a community of similarly aged people, assisted living provides a few more amenities to those who need them.
While continuing to keep individual independence a main priority, communities like Yuma Senior Living offer both independent and assisted living. But here are a few differences between the two living options.
Medical Assistance
If you require medical assistance, you’ll benefit greatly from joining an assisted living community. A community like Yuma Senior Living can provide residents with an on-site care staff that is available 24-hours a day. In addition, these staff members can help residents with medication management, medication assistance, and medication administration. Medical assistance in assisted living an ensure residents have the option to receive a little extra care should they need it. They also won’t miss out on getting the medical care they need to maintain their independence.
Unlike in an assisted living community, independent living environments often don’t provide medical assistance to residents. Residents are left to their own devices when it comes to receiving, maintaining, and administering their own medications and monitoring their health.
Living Arrangements
Another thing that typically differs between independent living vs. assisted living is the style of living arrangements offered. In an assisted living community, there are a variety of private apartment options with different floor plans. Some include things like large kitchenettes, while others don’t due to the ample dining options available. The apartment as an assisted living community are safe and secure, and offer options like emergency response pull cords, walk- or wheel-in showers with grab bars, and emergency pendants for residents. These types of living arrangements are often set in one specific building. That way, all residents will have equal access to the other helpful amenities offered to them.
At an independent living community, the apartments or house option may more closely resemble a typical home outside of the community. They are often more physically distant from other residents, as the communities don’t offer as many amenities to residents that they need to be nearer to.
Amenities
The amenities offered at each of these community living options are probably among the biggest differences between the two. Assisted living communities offer a larger variety of amenities to residents that help to relieve them of their everyday responsibilities that may be more difficult to complete now.
Services and amenities like weekly housekeeping, assistance with bathing, and restaurant-style dining served daily are just a few of the helpful assistance options that residents at assisted living enjoy. Independent living typically leaves these responsibilities for to the residents to complete, however at Yuma Senior Living we also support many of these assisted living services for our independent living folks.
A good community will cater to each resident’s specific needs and help them maintain as much independence as they wish.
At Yuma Senior Living we offer both independent, assisted and memory care living options. If you are interested in learning more about our community, we encourage you to schedule an in-person visit with us. Simply give us a call at (928) 388-6858, and our Community Ambassador will schedule an onsite tour at your convenience.