When researching the best Venice assisted living option for you or a loved one, you have likely seen the term “levels of care” show up in the information you are reading. You may be wondering just what the term means – or more specifically, what it means for your family. Because there are so many variables to consider when locating the best facility for your needs, we’ve decided to discuss what you can expect.
Levels of Care, Explained
The most important thing to point out is that when it comes to assisted living facilities, “levels of care” does not indicate difference in care quality. All assisted living facilities are bound to the same statewide regulations and guidelines, therefore every facility provides a required baseline quality level of care. In actuality, levels of care refers to the client’s needs and requirements, not the quality of care provided.
All assisted living facilities offer various levels of care, and each level is designed around certain variables. The number of levels a facility can provide will depend on the floor plan, building size, staffing and layout.
While you may not consider floorplan important in deciding what levels of care are afforded to residents, it is actually quite integral. If the rooms are spread out and sprawling, the staff may not pass by each room frequently – making it necessary to not take on high-need patients. In contrast, a facility which is designed as a circle around a central staffing area may able to handle higher-need residents, because no room is too far from necessary help and attention.
The number of staff employed at the facility will also help to dictate the level of care. A facility with a smaller staff is not necessarily “less capable”, they may simply be providing a less intensive level of care to their residents. When residents need more care, the facility tends to have a more extensive staff.
Levels of Assisted Living Care
As discussed above, levels of care has nothing to do with quality of care. Levels 1, 2 and 3 all provide high quality care to those residents. Insead, the levels point to the current abilities of the resident.
Level 1 Care: The resident can perform most activities of daily living (ADLs) without assistance, or with very little assistance required. They may ask for occasional assistance in order to ensure safety, or need small reminders to perform these daily tasks.
Level 2 Care: Level 2 residents typically need assistance with some ADLs, but can still independently handle some of their basic daily activities as well. They may require supervision with several of these tasks, such as showering or cooking.
Level 3 Care: The resident likely needs assistance for many daily tasks, and could require more than one caregiver.
Over and above the aforementioned differences in levels of care, there are additional services to be aware of.
In higher-level care situations, one can expect:
- More staff interaction
- More frequent visits from the nurse
- More frequent assistance throughout the dayTwo or more caregivers
Generally, higher levels ofneeded care will be more expensive.
Other Care Options
Rehabilitation Centers: When an individual is discharged from the hospital, after a major health event or surgery, they have high medical needs. Rehabilitation hospitals provided specialized, high level care for specific conditions.
Skilled Nursing: Like rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities are also short-term options and focus on specific needs. Skilled nursing is an appropriate option after surgery or while adjusting to a new medical situation or way of life. Skilled nursing is more of a stepping stone than it is a destination.
Memory Care: Memory care is appropriate for residents living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Memory care centers are necessarily more focused on high-level resident care, as those residents will need more attention to stay safe and secure on a daily basis.
Do You Have to Move From Facility to Facilty? For many people, an assisted living facility will be the only home that they will need. However, for others, skilled nursing facility or memory care may be required down the road.
Determine the Right Level of Care
Choosing the correct level of care is just as essential as choosing the right care facility. Here are the factors to consider:
- Identify your own (or your loved one’s) restrictions.
- What daily acitvities are becoming too challenging to perform independently?
- What type of care might they need in the near future?
- Are daily prescription medications a part of your regimen?
- Do those medications need to be monitored?
- Is there a disease present which may become degenerative in the future?
- Do you (or your loved ones) require physical mobility assistance, such as walker or wheelchair?
A professional assisted living facility will perform an assessment on you or your loved one, and also refer to doctor’s recommendations as to your needs. Once they have determined the correct level of care, you can be assured that your needs will be met with skill and compassion.
A Banyan Residence provides quality assisted living and memory care for Venice residents and their family.
