As you search through the various senior living options in Alexandria, LA for your aging parent or elderly loved one, you probably might have come across common terms like Independent Living, Assisted Living or Memory Care. One of the lesser-known options that you may not have heard of though, is Supportive Living.
If you find yourself feeling rather confused about Supportive Living vs. Assisted Living, we’ll focus on that today and talk about their similarities and differences here. This will help you be more familiar with both options and know which option is more suitable for your loved one.
Level of Care
An Assisted Living community is a type of retirement community that caters to the elderly who require personalized support with everyday activities like grooming, dressing and mobility. These retirement communities notably provide 24/7 on-site nursing services.
Supportive Living is slightly different in that it’s regarded as a form of Assisted Living, but with a lower level of care available. Supportive Living provides a middle ground for individuals who require some assistance, more than those in Independent Living, but who do not need any intense nursing care as what’s available in Assisted Living communities.
Therefore, the key difference is that Supportive Living provides a basic level of medical care, such as wound care and medication management, but not 24/7 skilled nursing care like in Assisted Living.
Additionally, in some states, it is dictated by law that Supportive Living staff can only provide a maximum of 28 hours of care per week. Assisted Living communities do not have this restriction.
Care Plans
Another difference is that in Supportive Living, residents’ care plans are usually flexible in duration. They could be long-term plans for ongoing care or sometimes just short-term plans for a one-month period. Contrastingly, Assisted Living is typically for the elderly who have progressive or chronic conditions and so require long-term to lifetime care plans.
Also, the move-in process for Assisted Living is decided by a healthcare expert’s assessment of the potential resident’s individual needs. This professional evaluation makes sure that someone who actually requires specialized Memory Care does not end up in Assisted Living and misses out on the important cognitive care they need.
Services Provided
Assisted Living communities offer a range of convenient services and amenities including full meal preparation and dining options, housekeeping, concierge and transportation services. There are also many health and wellness programs as well as planned activities and events to help residents socialize and be active.
Conversely, Supportive Living communities normally do not provide concierge and transportation services and might only provide light housekeeping and meal prep assistance.
Difference in Size
Another significant difference between Supportive Living vs. Assisted Living lies in their size. Supportive Living communities offer a smaller, homelike environment with fewer residents, allowing for closer relationships between the care team and their residents. In contrast, Assisted Living communities have more residents, providing a different social dynamic.
The sizes of Supportive Living are state-regulated, meaning that each state has a law that dictates how large Supportive Living communities can be. For instance, in certain states, if the number of residents in the community exceeds 24 at any given time, the place must be classified as an Assisted Living community.
Difference in Setting
Supportive Living services are usually integrated into residential care apartment complexes (RCACs), where residents live independently in their own apartment units but have RCAC team members providing 24/7 support and reassurance checks.
Assisted Living communities have their own private compounds that can offer a wider range of accommodation options such as individual apartments, shared apartments or private suites.
