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Assisted Living Residences (ALRs)

Residents pay for ALRs using private funds. In other words, they use their own savings. ALRs also target the healthiest seniors. The industry providing ALR is quickly evolving. State regulatory approaches to these facilities are changing to address the industry. However, they are much less regulated than nursing homes. There are a variety of approaches to overseeing the industry and establishing standards. This means you need to do your own research before selecting an ALR that’s right for you or a loved one.

ALRs, assisted living facilities, residential care facilities
Assisted Living Residences

Learn The Other Names For Assisted Living Residences

ALRs are referred to by industry and State regulators in several ways. Some of these include residential care facilities, personal care facilities, retirement center communities, adult congregate-care facilities, boarding homes, and domiciliary care facilities. Regardless of their name, all these facilities offer some level of assistance to their residents.

Services & Amenities Provided By Assisted Living Residences

Assisted living residences share certain characteristics. For example, these characteristics reflect the services and amenities they provide. ALRs generally provide the following:

  • Service that can meet a resident’s scheduled and unscheduled needs
  • 24-hour supervision and assistance (scheduled and unscheduled)
  • On duty staff member at all times (i.e., at least one)
  • Communal living settings providing or coordinating personal services
  • Health-related services, and general activities (exercise, crafts, etc.)
  • Designed architecturally and offered services to minimize the need for residents to move
  • Ability to address a residents’ changing needs and preferences
  • Designed to maximize residents’ dignity, autonomy, privacy, socialization, independence, choice, and safety
  • Make efforts to encourage family and community involvement
  • Settings that provide assistance in maintaining and enhancing the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual well-being of residents
  • An emphasis on privacy and a home-like environment
  • Addressing or capability of addressing ADLs or IADLs

How Assisted Living Residences Market

The variance in ALRs is actually huge, but the marketing message is generally the same: we help you, or your loved one live in dignity and manage their individual day-to-day needs and goals, today and into the future.

The Third-Party Sales Force

A sales industry has also grown up around ALRs to generate leads for ALRs. As a result, it is not uncommon for the ALR facility pays this lead generation industry for referrals and admissions. This means money is paid every time someone referred by a lead generator is admitted to an ALR.

In fact, you’ve probably heard their ads on television. They say they’ll help you find a place for your Mom or Dad. Sometimes the ALR will pay for the referral itself, regardless of whether the referred senior is ever admitted.

Memory Care Units of ALRs

Finally, you need to understand that most ALRs now offer a high-demand service: dementia care. However, dementia care is called by many names like memory care, Alzheimer’s care, and adult day care. unit. Accordingly, it’s critical you understand what this service or separate unit is all about. Click here to learn about memory care.

How To Evaluate ALRs

Carmen and I have created a way to evaluate ALRs. See this Section here.