Nursing Homes and Assisted Livings for Elderly Research Paper

Nursing Homes and Assisted Livings for Elderly - Research Paper Example Long-term care facilities are group-housing environments that provide services for those who lack some capacity for self-care. There are many different LTC facility types (e.g., assisted living, residential care, adult foster care, nursing homes), established and operated according to federal, state, and local regulations and licensing requirements (Dobbs, 2004). The dominant feature of all LTC facility types is arguably the level of care provided. The facility license stipulates the level of care allowed and the training and experience requirements for staff. Unfortunately, care levels are not classified according to the same system for each type of facility making it difficult to directly compare facility types. For example, nursing homes are licensed to provide skilled and/or intermediate care, terms established in federal regulations (Dobbs, 2004). Skilled care is a level of care that requires services that can only be performed safely by a licensed nurse whereas intermediate care is health-related care and services that do not necessarily require licensed practitioners. In contrast, assisted living, residential care, and adult foster care are licensed under state regulations based on the activities of daily living requirements (ADLs) of individuals. The ADLs measure individuals' physical, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. A common A DL measure is whether the individual is "independent," "dependent," or "needs assistance" with bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and eating. Arguably, the most important factor to influence both the older individuals' relocation to a LTC facility and the type of LTC facility chosen is the level of care needed, that is, the individuals' physical and functional limitations and degree of cognitive impairment. Other factors include financial status, availability of supportive family and friends, and regional case management practices. The four facility types are described below. Assisted Living Facilities Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are one of the newest living arrangements for elders, designed around a social rather than a medical model of care. In many ways, the function of assisted living is fairly clear: it is a congregate housing alternative for seniors who are unable to live independently, but who do not require the intensive skilled nursing services av ailable in nursing homes. As the