Assisted Living FAQs
Assisted living is for people who want to live independently, but would benefit from having access to help with activities of daily living. Assisted living residents live in their own apartments.
Skilled nursing is for those who need 24/7 nursing care and services. Residents live in a nursing home and have their own room or a room that fits two people.
In an assisted living community, a resident has their own apartment, but they may need help with certain aspects of daily life. This could include a staff member coming in once a day to help them with their medications and once a week to provide light housekeeping.
The resident has time to attend the activities they enjoy and eat meals in the dining room while getting to know new friends. Neighbors are close by, giving a community feeling.
Assisted living is not the same as a care home. A care home is another name for a nursing home that provides care and services 24/7.
- Help with bathing and grooming
- Laundry and housekeeping support
- Medication management
- Nutritious and delicious meals
- Social, wellness and spiritual activities
Here are some things to consider:
- Can you or your loved one perform day-to-day tasks like grooming, bathing, dressing or managing medications?
- Would you or your loved one benefit from more social activities or programs?
- Do you or your loved one need help with chores like lawn care or meal preparation?
If you said yes to these questions, you or your loved one would likely benefit from assisted living services.
Assisted living communities can take care of many chores people may not want to do anymore, like housekeeping, yard work and cooking.
Since assisted living communities employ licensed health care providers, your loved one can also get help with health-related issues. Our team also assists with everyday activities like bathing, getting dressed or taking medication.
A move to assisted living can help your loved one with what they need and free up time to do the things they want, like spending more time with family and friends.
Talk to your loved one about how they may qualify. Assisted living can help if they:
- Need help with daily tasks
- Can move around independently
- Don’t need around-the-clock care
- Can mostly manage their medical conditions on their own
- Want to live actively in a social community
Your options may include:
- Long-term care insurance
- Medicaid
- Private pay
Private health insurance and Medicare usually don’t cover assisted living services.
Your loved one may feel isolated and lonely at home, even if they don’t want to talk about it.
Moving to an assisted living community can help them connect with other seniors and keep them active.
Knowing 24-hour staff assistance is available can also give you peace of mind and help your loved one feel safer.
It’s easy to gloss over a problem your loved one has been just “dealing with” on their own.
Ask them questions they might not have considered yet, like:
- Can you do everyday tasks easily, without assistance?
- Are you eating as healthily or as well as you should be?
- Do you always feel safe in your own home, and when you’re running errands?
- Do you wish more people were around to talk to?
Have them take a closer look and consider how their lives might be better with a little assistance.
Talk to your loved one about what’s most important to them, and find communities that offer those options.
- Do they want a full-sized kitchen to cook in, or would they rather have meals prepared for them?
- Is it important to have a second bedroom, or would a studio apartment be sufficient?
- Is there scheduled transportation to help them run errands, or is there a private parking lot for their car?
- Do they want help with housekeeping or laundry?
- Is there an on-site hair salon? Wellness classes or equipment? A chapel? Social activities? A place to have coffee and snacks?
Take some time to find an assisted living community with amenities, services and apartment layouts that best suit your loved one’s lifestyles and preferences.
Use “what if…” language instead of “you should…” or “you need to…” language that may make your loved one feel defensive.
Express why you’re concerned about her health or safety, and offer information they can look at to learn more.
Encourage your loved one to keep an open mind, and assure them the final decision is theirs to make.
Most assisted living communities allow residents to choose exactly what they want assistance with, and to adjust their care plans if their needs change.
When your loved one gets help with daily activities and cuts out household chores, they’ll likely find they have more time and energy to do the things they truly care about.
Each day at an assisted living community can give your loved one the chance to live life exactly the way they want.
Independent Living FAQs
With independent living, residents can enjoy all the comforts of home without the stress of maintenance.
Inpatient Rehabilitation FAQ
Inpatient rehabilitation – sometimes known as rehabilitation therapy, subacute or transitional care – is care you receive following a hospitalization.
Inpatient rehabilitation usually focuses on speech, physical and occupational therapies. The goal of post-hospital therapies is to help you regain lost function or learn compensation tactics specific to your needs so you can return to everyday life as safely as possible.
If you have Medicare coverage, there are some designations for where inpatient rehab can take place. Nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and long-term care hospitals can offer this care, as can home health agencies.
Inpatient rehab is available to people of all ages in various settings. Be sure to check with your insurance and Medicare policies about coverage for your post-hospital care.
Read more: Medicare FAQs
Your doctor may have some recommendations, but don’t be afraid to research on your own, or ask to go to a different location. No matter where you choose to go, you should feel in control of the process.
A good inpatient rehab team will make sure your therapy program matches your needs, and talk you through the reasons for each exercise. If you have specific tasks you want to be able to do again, or if you’re hesitant about a particular exercise, let your therapists know. Your wants, needs and fears should be acknowledged and respected.
Finding the right therapists to help you is just as important as where you go for therapy. Choose an inpatient rehab team that is patient and compassionate, but also pushes you to reach your goals. A good therapy team will encourage you, listen to your frustrations and cheer your successes every step of the way.
At the Good Samaritan Society, we don’t think therapy should be “one size fits all.” Your inpatient therapy program will be created just for you. With us, your individual goals – physical, emotional and spiritual – are our goals, too.
- Physician services
- Certified nurse practitioners
- IV therapy
- 24-hour RN care
- Care planning with qualified social workers
- Individualized discharge planning for a safe transition home
- Occupational and physical therapy and speech-language pathology
- Clinical outcome results
- Continuum of care to meet additional care needs
- Chaplain
- Nondenominational services and devotions
- Restaurant-style dining room
- Cable
- Free Wi-Fi
We’ll do everything we can to help you recover as quickly and comfortably as possible, with all the support you need.
Senior Living FAQs
Senior living is a broad term that encompasses the types of care and housing available for seniors 55 and older.
It can also be known as independent living or retirement living.
Most senior living communities offer:
- Assisted living apartments
- Independent living apartments
- Long-term care
- Memory care
The most common senior living options are:
- Assisted living
- Home health care
- Independent living
- Long-term care
- Memory care
Is a Good Samaritan Society senior living community right for you?
Many of the benefits include:
- Additional health care options are available
- Home and yard maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Meal options
- Security and comfort with having neighbors nearby
- Spiritual, recreational and wellness programming
- Transportation
We encourage you to discover a deeper, more meaningful life with the Good Samaritan Society.
Let us help you understand the options we offer.
Senior living should provide more than a place to live. It should offer a sense of comfort and safety. A sense of control. Most important, it should provide a true feeling of community. If you’re an avid bird-watcher, you may want a birdfeeder outside your window. Maybe you simply enjoy sitting and reading in your favorite chair. No matter what it is that makes home feel like home, your senior living community should provide those same comforts.
Selecting a senior living community can be a difficult decision that often happens after a stressful event such as a fall, a surgery or a lifestyle change. The place you choose should treat you or a loved one as an individual, someone with a unique story. You should feel confident that the staff has experience helping people in similar situations and will treat you with compassion and patience.
It’s important to find out beforehand if services or care can be paid through your private pay, Medicare or long-term care insurance. Some offer other payment options depending on your unique situation. Be sure to make an appointment and talk with someone in the business office to determine your best options.
Many senior living options provide a wide variety of services and amenities. These services should help you enjoy a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle. They should also meet your changing health and physical needs. From activities and lawn maintenance to meal programs and transportation, it’s important to select a senior housing community that provides the right services for you.
Many people fear that they’ll give up their freedom when they move to senior living. In reality, a senior living community should offer more freedom. By helping make daily activities easier, you should have more flexibility to do the things you truly care about.
Each of our locations has specific services, amenities and options for touring our campus. Contact us to learn more.
Rehabilitation Therapy FAQs
Rehabilitation therapy helps you recover after an accident, illness or hospitalization. You may need one or more types of rehabilitation therapy depending on your goals and the level of your physical limitations. You’ll work with your physician to determine which treatment is right for you. Learn more about the three types of rehabilitation therapy below.
The goal of rehab therapy is to help you regain lost function – or learn compensation tactics specific to your needs – so you can return to everyday life as safely as possible.
According to medicare.gov, Medicare Part A covers medically necessary care you get in an inpatient rehabilitation center. Medicare Part B covers doctors’ services you get while you’re there.
Most insurance plans will cover medically necessary rehabilitation therapy services that are provided by a licensed therapist. It’s important to call your insurance company to find out what your plan will cover.
Yes. Contact your medical provider to get a referral. Our rehab therapy team will then provide an initial evaluation to help you set goals.
Yes. Various exercises and stretching techniques can help reduce the chronic pain of arthritis. It’s often part of a multidisciplinary approach that includes medicines, hot and cold treatments and other therapies.
