Assisted living practitioners are composed of medical professionals and other workers who provide services to seniors and those in retirement.
Across the United States, assisted living could mean different things but it generally involves seniors moving into a facility or receiving assistance from a professional for their daily tasks.
Assisted-living facilities can also be called residential care settings or personal care homes. In these facilities, health and human services specialists help these older adults carry on with managing tasks such as cooking, bathing, or even using bathrooms. Most assisted living facilities consist of rooms and shared rooms, not separated apartments.
However, it is important to differentiate senior home care from assisted living — the former often refers to the assistance given to older individuals in the home they are already living in. In the assisted living setting, however, seniors and retirees move out of their homes and live in a facility overseen by caregivers.
Assisted living facilities are just one of the options available for seniors and retirees. Here’s how assisted living compares with other senior housing options:
Housing Options |
How it works |
Who is this for |
Assisted living community |
An assisted living community includes round-the-clock services such as medication management, food preparation, housekeeping, bathing, and other daily activities. Assisted living communities often have common and recreational areas where senior residents can socialize and engage. | Assisted living facilities are for older people who can live somewhat independently but may need assistance in daily tasks. |
Continuing care retirement |
CCRCs provide services depending on levels of care. This type of community consists of different parts: independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing facility. | This option is for those who want to live in one location for the rest of their lives. Seniors can move to different parts of the facility as they require increasing levels of care. |
Skilled nursing facility or nursing homes |
Nursing homes are healthcare facilities supervised by a physician, nurses, and other medical professionals. These facilities provide 24-hour medical services. | Nursing homes are for seniors with severe illnesses who are unable to care for themselves. |
Independent living communities | This option provides housing to seniors similar to how college campuses work. Typically, these communities offer services such as house maintenance, housekeeping, and cooking. | Independent living communities are for older adults who want to live in a community where they can socialize and collaborate on activities without having to be supervised all day. |
Residential home care | Residential home care are small-scale facilities that offer personalized care and services to small groups of adults. They are also known as adult family homes or personal care homes. | Residential home care is for seniors who prefer a more individual care in a home setting. |
Aging in place | Aging in place is when seniors live the rest of their years in their own home or with a family. Families who need assistance in caring for seniors often hire in-home caregivers. | This is for older adults who can still live independently or those with family members who can help provide care. |
De Vore Recruiting connects families, medical organizations, and private companies to qualified professionals and workers who are well-equipped with skills and expertise in providing services in an assisted living setting.
With its wide network of assisted living practitioners such as nurses, caregivers, and therapists, Devore can quickly match the workforce needs of its clients, allowing them to improve their services and enhance the lives of their patients and care receivers.
It may be easy to assume that those who work in assisted living facilities are all medical professionals. Typically, people living in assisted living facilities do not necessarily need round-the-clock medical oversight, and a huge chunk of workers are there to help residents with day-to-day tasks such as cooking and cleaning.
Here are some of the common employees working at assisted living facilities and what they do:
Nursing assistants are one of the key workers in assisted living facilities as they assist residents in tasks such as bathing, toileting, dressing, and mobility. They are the frontliners — certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are trained to monitor their patients for any changes in their health or behaviors. They report their concerns to nursing supervisors and other higher ups, who can refer the residents to the appropriate professionals for necessary tests or medications.
Assisted living facilities often hire doctors and registered nurses to provide medical services to its residents. It is common for these professionals to work on a part-time basis in these facilities, as residents do not typically need 24/7 medical attention. However, a full-time registered nurse is often hired to manage CNAs.
In order to keep residents engaged and active, assisted living facilities often hire engagement and activities directors, equivalent to human resources professionals in a corporate setting. Activities directors arrange activities inside and outside the facility to keep the morale among the senior residents high. These activities include indoor exercise groups, field trips, movie nights, and other events.
It is a must for assisted living facilities to be clean and safe for the residents. The upkeep and cleanliness of the facilities often rely on the skilled maintenance and cleaning workers.
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According to the data from Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey Data from the National Senior Living Cost Index in 2022, these are the median daily, monthly, and yearly costs of assisted living facilities from the top 8 major states:
State | Daily Cost | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
California | $173 | $5,250 | $63,000 |
Texas | $131 | $3,998 | $47,970 |
Florida | $132 | $4,000 | $48,000 |
New York | $151 | $4,580 | $54,960 |
Pennsylvania | $135 | $4,100 | $49,200 |
Illinois | $148 | $4,488 | $53,850 |
Ohio | $152 | $4,635 | $55,620 |
Georgia | $116 | $3,535 | $42,420 |