What is Assisted Living
"Assisted living" is a term routinely used to refer to programs or facilities for seniors in need of some type of assistance with their daily routines but who can still perform most tasks on their own.
Examples of typical tasks these seniors would require help with are: preparing their meals, getting dressed or bathed, keeping track of medication schedules and regimens, mobility, etc.
Typical assisted living residents consist of seniors with symptoms of senility such as declining memories or physical fitness. ALFA, the Assisted Living Federation of America, estimates that over one million Americans currently live in one of the more than twenty-thousand assisted living residences spread across the United States.
Assisted living facilities tend to customize specific service plans for their residents, so as not to change a senior's habits and lifestyle while at the same time catering to his exact needs. The types and levels of services offered can be quite different from one location to another or from one state to another, as the industry as a whole is governed mostly by individual states rather than the federal government.
There are a variety of terms used to describe the "assisted living" industry, although the core term of "assisted living" is generally recognized across the country. Other commonly used terms include, but are not limited to: supported care, personal care, adult living facilities, sheltered housing, residential care, domiciliary care, community based retirement, board and care, congregate care, adult enhanced care, adult foster care, retirement residences, etc.
