After deciding that your loved ones need to move into a retirement community, choosing the most appropriate option for them can be difficult. Sometimes, you might be stuck between choosing adult day care or assisted living communities in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. These are a few differences between both retirement communities:
What is Adult Day Care?
Adult daycare has been around for decades and is an alternative to assisted living and other care options. Families who couldn’t afford these services or want to care for loved ones at home often opt for Adult day care. This care service offers physical, mental, and social support for adults who need some level of dependence due to health decline.
Services Offered in Adult Day Care
As mentioned earlier, this service is ideal if you want to care for your loved ones at home but need extra hands. The adult day care will serve as extra help when you are at work. In addition, your loved ones will be able to socialize and receive appropriate support. Aside from being an extra help, these care centers can serve as respite care for someone recovering after a hospital discharge.
Adult day care centers offer a safe and secure environment for your loved ones with the required level of supervision. They provide services to cater to people with the following:
- Dementia
- Chronic hypertension
- Mental illness
- Cardiovascular disease
- Physical disability
- Diabetes
Adult day care services aim to provide support, improve quality of life, and restore balance
Cost of Adult Day Care Services
The cost of adult day care is dependent on the needs of your loved ones, location, insurance incentives, and the type of care available. Generally, the type of care in these centers is divided into social and health care. Both care services cover basic health services, meals, and scheduled activities. On the other hand, health care covers medication and therapy for chronic health complications.
According to the Cost of Care database by Genworth, the average daily cost of an adult day care center in the United State is $78. However, since aging adults don’t spend the entire day in these centers, the payment is mostly made according to hours spent.
What is an Assisted Living Community?
Assisted living communities are for aging adults who need little or no assistance and want to live independently in a residential setting. Mostly, residents in these centers need assistance with activities of daily living.
These activities include bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, and personal hygiene. Residents in these communities make monthly payments according to the type of suite and level of care needed.
Services offered in Assisted Living Communities
The level of services available is different from community to community. Sometimes, it can be as a result of state regulations; generally, services will include:
- Meal Preparation
- Housekeeping and Laundry
- Medication Management
- Social Activities
- Personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and many more.
- Transportation
- Concierge services
Cost of Assisted Living Communities
The cost of assisted living communities depends on the location and level of care needed. However, according to the Cost of Care Survey by Genworth in 2020, the national average cost is $4,300 a month. It can be higher or lower in some regions.
For instance, in 2020, the average monthly cost of an assisted living community in Seattle was $6,750 and was $6,000 in Washington, D.C. On the other hand, the monthly cost was lower than the national average in some cities. It was $3,500 in Miami, $3,750 in St. Louis, and $3,600 in Charleston, South Carolina.
