Different Types of Assisted Living Facilities Meet Different Needs

White Plains, NY (Law Firm Newswire) December 30, 2013 – Assisted living facilities (also called enriched housing programs or adult homes) are residences for senior citizens where help is provided with daily living activities.

Staff can make doctor’s appointments, deliver medication and assist residents with bathing, dressing, grooming or other needs. Meals and housekeeping are also provided at such facilities. In the state of New York, the Department of Heath licenses all types of assisted living residences as adult care facilities, but there are actually several different types of these facilities available.

All adult care facilities are distinguished from nursing homes by their level of assistance. Adult care facilities offer aid for those who do not need round-the-clock medical services or skilled nursing. Individuals who need the continuous, regular support of a steady medical staff would be better served by a nursing home.

New York offers two primary kinds of adult care facilities: enriched housing programs and adult homes. Both offer long-term care in a residential setting that provides meals, laundry services, housekeeping, supervision and assistance with personal care and medication. Between the two, one major difference is found in supervision requirements; the law has stricter requirements for adult homes, although enriched housing programs may offer the same level of supervision without them. In addition, enriched housing programs usually offer apartment-style residences, while adult homes generally provide private or two-person rooms.

The same types of service provided in enriched housing programs and adult homes may also be provided by assisted living residences and assisted living programs. In order to refer to themselves as providers of “assisted living,” these facilities must meet additional requirements, providing certain disclosures and rights for residents. The goal of an assisted living facility is to provide the care necessary to allow individuals to live as independently as possible, emphasizing personal dignity and freedom of choice.

Finally, assisted living residences that offer aging-in-place services and obtain additional certification may be designated as enhanced assisted living residences, and those that offer specialized care and meet different certification requirements may be distinguished as special needs assisted living residences.

For more information, refer to the New York State Department of Health’s website on assisted living, available at http://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/assisted_living

Learn more at http://www.specialneedsnewyork.com/