Senior living is a broad term that covers two different levels of lifestyle choice available for seniors — assisted or independent living. It can be daunting to decide which one is right for you or your loved one. We’ve put together some guidelines to help you figure it out.
Day-To-Day Living Needs
These are the regular tasks that are part of normal life that most of us manage without much thought. As we age, some of these become trickier and moving into an environment that provides support when it’s needed can relieve unnecessary stress on the whole family.
Independent Living Offers An Active Lifestyle and Convenience
With a focus on enhancing the quality of life for seniors, independent living offers conveniences such as onsite organized activities, easy access to personal care facilities, as well as close proximity to shops. We also offer affordable meal plans, prepared by our seasoned chef.
Meal Plan Access and Pricing
Residents in our independent living facility have the option to buy meal plans, giving them the flexibility to decide whether they want one or three meals a day. This is slightly different than in our assisted living facility, where three meals a day are provided as part of your residency by a five-star chef.
Part of being independent at Eastside, is living in a studio apartment or villa, where seniors have the option to cook themselves meals in the comfort of their own kitchen or kitchenette.
For the days of the week that you just don’t feel like cooking, our meal service pricing plans are incredibly flexible!
- Three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) – $350.00/per month
- Two meals a day (breakfast & lunch) – $250.00/per month
- One meal a day (lunch) – $150.00/per month
- One meal a day (breakfast or dinner) – $100.00/per month
Housekeeping and Laundry Service Pricing
Independent living facility residents also have the option to enlist Eastside’s housekeeping and laundry services for a small fee.
- Housekeeping – $25.00/per cleaning
- Laundry Service – $75.00/per month
Assisted Living Offers Personalized Support
The assisted living facility of Eastside Active Living aims to provide seniors with the help they need, while allowing them to retain as much independence as possible. Residents are offered a call button pendant ensuring that help is a simple button press away. This brings great peace of mind for the seniors and their loved ones.
Help is offered according to the residents changing needs, which can include:
- Healthy meal preparation and shopping
- Cleaning of their living quarters
- Assistance with medication – reminders and monitoring correct dosage
- Grooming and bathing
- Booking and getting to medical appointments
Medical Support
Independent living is well-suited to those who simply don’t feel comfortable living alone anymore but are healthy. It is also good for those who have medical conditions that don’t affect their daily lives. Independent living seniors don’t have automatic access to medical assistance.
People who aren’t able to live alone any longer, but don’t need intensive medical care are good candidates for assisted living.
Staff Contact & Support
Staff are hands-on in an assisted living environment. They will check-in on residents regularly to make sure that all is well. While they don’t diagnose or treat illness, they will alert loved ones if any health issue crops up.
Independent living communities have much less regular staff contact, though the staff are right on hand should a need arise.
When To Consider Independent Living
Struggling with the choice between independent or assisted living is a challenge for many seniors and their families. Here are some simple guidelines to help you know when to consider moving to an independent living facility.
- Am I healthy, but find myself feeling lonely? Does the thought of living in and belonging to a community sound appealing?
- Do I feel confident about living alone and taking care of myself, but find that I get to feel bored and lonely?
When To Consider Assisted Living
If you answer yes to some or most of these questions, you can strongly consider moving to an assisted living facility.
- Would spending a few days alone at home be a health risk?
- Do I rely on my spouse or children to meet my everyday needs and run errands?
- Am I living with a serious, long-term, medical condition?
- Is my doctor concerned about me living alone?
- Am I able to keep up with daily cooking, cleaning and bathing? Do I have an unconscious worry that I could fall or hurt myself doing these things?
- Have I been diagnosed with a chronic, progressive, medical condition such as dementia or terminal cancer?
- Is in-home care costing me or my family a lot?
- Do I feel anxious when I’m alone in my home?
- Do my caregivers seem annoyed, overwhelmed or stressed? Is there an increase in tension and conflict between family members?
Quality Of Life Is Better At The Beach!
Getting older doesn’t have to mean settling for a lower quality of life. The next season can be full, active and satisfying. It all starts with making the right decision based on your needs. Come and explore the options available to you at Eastside Active Living. We boast a beautiful facility in sunny South Florida with tons of convenient on-site amenities. And, the best part is, we’re located just 15 minutes from Hollywood Beach!
For more information about our senior living community, contact Eastside Active Living today at 954-923-5057.
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