Continuum of Care: Age in Place Gracefully

In considering the vast scope of senior living and care options available today, you’ll need to think about a number of factors, especially the individual’s current and future needs. Among the possibilities are continuum communities for seniors , which enable residents to experience a quality of life that’s more relaxing, dynamic and, ultimately, healthful. Read more below to gain a better understanding about this option and to see if it could be the best solution for you or your loved one now – and as time goes on.

What Is a Continuum Community for Seniors?

Also known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) or Life Plan Communities, AARP defines these seemingly fancy terms simply as “a long-term care option for older people who want to stay in the same place through different phases of the aging process.”

Senior living communities that provide a continuum of care can accommodate its residents through the years, providing “different types of housing and care levels based on an older adult’s needs and how they change.”

How Do Continuum Communities Work?

Usually, residents buy into the community with a down payment and pay a monthly fee. In return, they receive access to a combination of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing in a single setting – in other words, the complete continuum of care and all its many benefits. Here’s how that looks:

• Prospective residents move in while they are still predominantly active and self-sufficient, and then age in place across the “continuum.”
• Residents might begin in an independent living apartment, cottage or other type of home, and a variety of services, amenities and activities may be available and included in the cost. They appreciate the ability to downsize and avoid responsibilities like housekeeping, landscaping, cooking, and home maintenance, while maintaining their privacy and traveling freely.
• Residents looking for additional help with daily living activities can transition to assisted living , while remaining on the same campus or in the same community and enjoying the same conveniences and companionship. In this option, staff members can assist residents with personal care needs such as showering, getting dressed, using the restroom, managing medication, or providing escort services.
• Residents living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or another form of memory loss can transition to the senior continuum community’s onsite memory care neighborhood. They can benefit from specialized care, behavioral support, and innovative programs and activities with a focus on cognitive health. Additionally, the benefits of a wander protection system, secured doors, and increased staffing and security provide monitoring of entryways and enhanced peace of mind.

The Advantages of Living in a Senior Continuum Community

There are a variety of benefits to selecting a senior living community with a continuum of care. Consider just several of them below:

• Transitions in care take place within the same continuum, allowing residents to retain a sense of stability and bonded familiarity with the people around them – both crucial to their overall wellness and longevity.
• The accommodations made for different ability and mobility levels can foster freedom and choice for a healthier lifestyle.
• Compassionate staff members support residents, while empowering them to be as independent as possible, which boosts their confidence.
• Around-the-clock onsite care and supervision, plus security measures like emergency response pendants and call systems, calm concerns over personal safety.
• Attention to nutrition and exercise is prominent. Nourishing culinary programs fulfill evolving dietary needs with balanced meals. Daily fitness programs and opportunities make it fun and easy to stay active.
• Maintenance-free living lifts the responsibilities of household chores from the shoulders of residents and their loved ones. Remember, no matter how self-sufficient a senior may be, exhausting and potentially hazardous chores can still become tiring, especially when physical limitations affect the ability to manage them.
• Bill payment is streamlined and much more manageable, due to consolidated utilities, household expenses and some health care costs.

Peace of Mind, Rather Than Moving from Place to Place

If the benefits of a continuum community for seniors sound enticing to you, start planning now for this lifestyle change. By exploring the senior living options in your area – before the risks and worries keep rising, or sudden, unexpected changes occur – the senior can make decisions openly and transition more seamlessly. Ultimately this enables individuals to maximize their overall independence for as long as possible and avoid a process that could otherwise be long, stressful and overwhelming.

When you’re ready, reach out to Cardinal Bay and bring our team into the conversation. As experts providing a continuum of care in maintenance-free independent living, assisted living and memory care communities in Texas and Oklahoma, we’ll collaborate on every aspect of a move. In our dynamic, relationship-centered environment, residents stay active and engaged. They enjoy a wealth of stimulating activities and daily social interactions focused on their ongoing physical, spiritual, intellectual, social and emotional wellness.

Observe for yourself how residents thrive by scheduling a complimentary visit . Explore more by reading Cardinal Bay’s free, valuable resources, which are dedicated to the seniors and their caregivers navigating this next chapter. Subscribe to our blog , plus access our eBook, Your Elementary Guide to Senior Living and Care Options in Texas and Oklahoma. Get your copy now!