Seniors who need help with activities of daily living, like dressing, bathing, and medication management, are usually well-suited to assisted living. But to make sure seniors get the care they need in assisted living, potential residents must meet state and facility qualifications. For example, in most cases, a senior doesn’t qualify for assisted living care if they need 24/7 medical care. Other qualifications include meeting an age minimum, being able to move independently, and being medically stable. If assisted living isn’t the best fit, there are other options.
Is assisted living the right fit?
Let our free assessment guide you to the best senior living options, tailored to your needs.
Assisted living communities have admissions criteria to make sure seniors will get the proper care they need. These qualifications are in place to protect prospective residents and help communities balance the needs of all residents. Communities conduct assessments of potential residents to decide whether the setting is appropriate for their situation.
“Not only do assisted living communities have to take the potential resident’s level of care into consideration, but they also have to consider the care requirements of the current residents,” says Amy McLoughlin, who has supported families for 10 years at A Place for Mom. “I can’t think of a time in my history that a senior community ever accepted a senior sight unseen. At the very least, a live video call was always required to ensure a proper fit.”
Because assisted living licensing varies by state, some communities can provide more medical care services than others. Some states have limits on the hours of care a senior can receive. Other states may limit how many caregivers can offer assistance at the same time. Complex conditions may also be outside of a community’s licensing requirement. Below are the most common criteria a senior will need to meet.
What sets assisted living apart from other retirement communities is the caregiver assistance that residents can receive each day.
Caregivers at assisted living communities help residents with personal care tasks, also known as activities of daily living (ADLs). These ADL services include assistance with things like:
Communities use a senior’s ADL needs as a guide to determine their level of care. For example, a community might determine that someone who needs help with two ADLs needs a low level of care. They may classify someone who needs help with four ADLs as a moderate level of care.
When it comes to the level of care provided, McLoughlin stresses that each community is different.
“Most assisted living communities accept residents who require a moderate level of care. Many will also offer memory care units for those with cognitive impairment. Some communities even offer enhanced assisted living for those with advanced medical needs,” McLoughlin explains.
Communities can vary greatly in what they offer. It’s best to discuss your loved one’s needs in detail with any community they’re considering.
While assisted living does provide 24-hour supervision and care, it’s generally for personal care. If your loved one needs medical attention around the clock, assisted living isn’t the best fit. A nursing home would most likely be a better fit. Nursing homes are equipped to help with medical care at all hours.
Assisted living communities can respond to emergency situations, though. This makes them an excellent choice for seniors and families who want peace of mind. If a senior has a fall or a medical emergency, assisted living caregivers can respond and get help.
You may hear the phrases chronic and stable, medically stable, or predictable and stable used to describe a senior’s condition. Basically, this means that any ongoing medical conditions are under control.
For instance, if a senior resident has high blood pressure, they’d be considered stable if they control it through medication. Caregivers can assume that the resident is OK when alone in their room or attending an activity. There isn’t a need for constant blood pressure monitoring. As long as this resident continues taking their medicine and remain largely independent, they’re stable.
Most assisted living communities have a minimum age for residents. McLoughlin says many communities accept seniors beginning at age 60 or 65.
McLoughlin notes that sometimes communities do accept younger residents on a case-by-case basis. Not all communities accept residents under 55, even if they have a condition such as Parkinson’s disease and need assistance with several ADLs.
An age minimum is also good for community culture. Many communities base activities around residents’ interests, and being in the same age group makes it easier to find something in common.
Is assisted living the right fit?
Let our free assessment guide you to the best senior living options, tailored to your needs.
Assisted living communities do sometimes provide mobility assistance, such as help getting from a bed to a wheelchair, which facilities call transferring. Not all communities provide the same amount of help, though.
Some communities have a specialized lift to help move seniors to their wheelchair, McLoughlin notes. In some states, however, lifts are against regulations. In most cases, communities will expect residents to be able to move independently. For instance, a senior should be able to move around their apartment and community common areas without assistance.
Sometimes needing a lot of help to move means assisted living isn’t the right fit. For example, if a resident begins to need two caregivers for help getting out of bed, that’s a sign the resident needs more help than assisted living can offer. The community might decide to move the resident to their on-site skilled nursing area, where more assistance is available and the risk of falling is lower.
Assessments are yet another area where communities may vary in their process. Communities may adjust their assessment based on a senior’s needs and health history.
“Depending on the senior’s care needs, the assessment could be as simple as a quick conversation or as involved as connecting with a medical case manager when transitioning from a hospital or rehab,” says McLoughlin. “It’s the assessment that determines exactly which care services the senior will receive each day.”
Assisted living communities assess new residents physically, mentally, and cognitively before they move in. Your loved one can also expect regular assessments once they’re a resident.
Here’s a breakdown what an assessment usually looks like, according to McLoughlin.
Seniors can expect a review of their medical history, including:
A cognitive assessment can help determine any decline or impairment. Some communities conduct a functional assessment to see how a senior performs ADLs. Lastly, a senior’s mental health may be evaluated for the following:
When it comes time to apply, you may find yourself still considering more than one community. Completing applications at more than one community is OK — in fact, it may make it easier to compare your top choices.
McLoughlin stresses that it’s important to research and tour a community to make sure it’s a good fit.
“Families that work with A Place for Mom have the luxury of only being connected with communities that are both a good care and financial fit,” McLoughlin says.
A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors work closely with families to understand their needs, budget, and what’s most important to their loved one.
Assisted living questions? Get expert help
Tell us your care needs to receive personalized guidance from our advisors.
Sometimes, assisted living isn’t the best fit. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but a senior’s acceptance usually centers around whether the community can provide the care they need. Thankfully, there are other senior living options for seniors who don’t meet the qualifications.
Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia may be comfortable in an assisted living community during the early stages of their illness. However, not all assisted living communities can provide the safety and structure needed as this condition progresses.
Memory care communities are specially designed to prevent accidents caused by wandering. Additionally, caregivers usually receive specialized memory care training to help manage dementia behaviors.
McLoughlin recalls a senior couple she once worked with. The man hoped that assisted living would be the right fit for his wife, who was recovering from a broken hip. However, someone in the assisted living community noticed that she had some aggression toward the idea of rehab. While initially difficult for him to accept, memory care was the best fit for her. The aggression turned out to be a symptom of dementia.
A nursing home provides the highest level of care available outside of a hospital setting. It’s a good fit when a senior needs more care than an assisted living community is licensed to provide.
McLoughlin notes a few examples of when a nursing home is a better fit, including:
In some cases, a stay in a nursing home may be temporary, and families can consider assisted living later if there are improvements in their loved one’s condition.
“The most common thing that keeps a senior from being accepted into assisted living has to do with wound healing,” McLoughlin explains. “This is usually in the case of those having been previously hospitalized or in rehab. Sometimes pressure ulcers or surgical wounds will require specialized medical care, such as a wound VAC. Assisted living typically requires wounds to be in a healing stage (showing signs of new tissue formation), before allowing the senior to move in.”
If you’re unsure how to start looking for an assisted living community for your loved one, consider reaching out to one of A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors. They’ll get a good understanding of the care your loved one needs to match you with a community that will be a good fit. Best of all, this service comes at no cost to you and your family.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
Assisted Living options tailored to your needs