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ASSISTED LIVING
Seniors have two options when considering Assisted Living:
LICENSING
Assisted Living Facilities in Texas must be licensed by Texas Health & Human Services (THHSC).
Serenity Senior Living homes are licensed as Small Type B Assisted Living Facilities.
Small facilities are defined as those with 16 residents or less.
Type B facilities house residents who may require staff assistance to evacuate and may be incapable of following directions under emergency conditions. They may require attendance during nighttime sleeping hours. The resident may not be permanently bedfast, but may require assistance in transferring to and from a wheelchair.
WHY CHOOSE A RESIDENTIAL ASSISTED LIVING HOME?
Assisted Living communities are designed for adults who are able to do most things on their own, but who need a certain amount of support and companionship. The large Assisted Living Facilities often target seniors who need very minimal assistance with their daily activities. They can leave a resident feeling like they live in a hotel, not a home. Residential Assisted Living homes (RALs) are located in residential neighborhoods, which can be closer to families, allowing for easier and more frequent visitation. With the low resident-to-caregiver ratio of 5:1, RALs are able to offer personalized care in a smaller and more comfortable home-like setting. This is ideal for residents who might not do well in a large Assisted Living Facility. Moving into a RAL is a good option for seniors who do not require constant care but need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, bathing, dressing, and medication management provided by well-trained and qualified caregivers. This is one of the key factors that separates Assisted Living from Independent Living Facilities, which are designed generally for the healthiest and most physically independent category of older adults.
ATTENTIVE STAFF PROVIDE VALUABLE SERVICES
Families can rest assured their loved ones are professionally and lovingly cared for and treated as unique individuals with individual needs. The staff in a Residential Assisted Living home are available around the clock to facilitate planned and unplanned resident needs. They provide supervision and security including emergency call systems. They serve 3 homecooked meals and snacks each day and handle all housekeeping and laundry services for the residents. Families can visit and enjoy time with their loved ones without needing to prepare food, clean house or worry about housekeeping chores.
INDEPENDENCE AND WELL BEING
Residential Assisted Living homes focus on providing a healthy social environment with planned life enrichment activities and family events. The home setting offers seniors opportunities for socialization and helps residents feel a sense of community. The residents will be encouraged to pursue their interests and hobbies to ensure that living with us gives them personal satisfaction. In a Residential Assisted Living home, rooms may be private or semi-private and residents are able to set up their rooms with their own furniture and familiar belongings.
MEDICAL CARE & SERVICES
A Residential Assisted Living home is not a medical facility, however, they will partner with a resident’s family and their home health physician to bring in specialized providers to manage the resident’s care needs. Each resident is provided with an initial personalized care plan which will be reassessed every 90 days or sooner if the care needs change. Residential Assisted Living homes provide ongoing oversight and serve as a liaison between the resident, physician, and any other health professionals as needed. If a resident needs any outpatient therapy, a home health agency can come into the community to provide that care. Hospice agencies also come in to provide end of life care, including wound care and pain management. This allows residents to “age in place” in their familiar, home-like environment, even as their care needs change.
HOW IS A RESIDENTIAL ASSISTED LIVING HOME DIFFERENT FROM A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY?
A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) provides a wide range of medical and personal care services in a clinical setting. A SNF is for residents who require significant medical care such as IV medications, a ventilator, respiratory therapy, or for someone who is unable to live without medical care on an ongoing basis. Skilled Nursing Facilities tend to provide very little personalized attention, they feel more institutionalized, and are often understaffed. Unlike a Residential Assisted Living home, residents are not allowed to set up their rooms with their own furniture and familiar belongings in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Skilled Nursing Facilities are also considerably more costly than Assisted Living Facilities or Residential Assisted Living homes.
COST COMPARISON
Living in a Residential Assisted Living home is significantly less, sometimes half the cost of a Skilled Nursing Facility. RALs can also cost less than in-home care but include the social and community benefits not available at home.
Serenity Senior Living operates as a private-pay facility, independent of any federal or state reimbursement programs.
Residents often use the following resources to pay for this higher level of care: