When it comes to senior living, the number of available options can feel staggering. There is no shortage of choice, whether that is the provided level of care or the setting in which a resident will live. When it comes to the living situation, people often think of larger-scale senior communities and buildings with multiple floors designed to accommodate a high capacity of residents. However, the reality is that the size of senior living housing varies greatly and can often affect a resident’s comfort, happiness and quality of life. People are often glad to learn that, despite their initial perception, there are many small, intimate living situations available to them or their aging loved ones. Residential care is one such option that is continuing to grow in popularity due to its many advantages.Read on to learn more about the distinctions between bigger communities vs. residential care.
Senior Living Communities
The term “senior living community” often refers to a campus reminiscent of an apartment building designed to house many seniors (they are sometimes known as “big-box facilities”). While these communities vary in size, a great many of them have multiple stories with as many apartments as possible. Many corporate senior living organizations own multiple locations across the country and are motivated to serve as many seniors as possible to help keep expansions and corporate goals on track. There are plenty of large communities offering competent care, but they are not without their disadvantages. For example, when an organization owns many locations, it can be difficult for leadership at the top to manage quality control throughout all of them, which may lead to inconsistent or subpar care. These large organizations may also prioritize profit over care, which can lead to cutting corners and jeopardizing quality of life. Additionally, larger communities may have a higher staff-to-resident ratio, meaning that there are many residents per staff member, which reduces the amount of time an aide can dedicate to an individual.
Residential Care
Residential care offers senior living in an intimate setting more akin to a family home than a large apartment building. Residential care homes are often located in picturesque houses in quiet neighborhoods and have been repurposed to serve multiple guests. They are meant to accommodate far fewer residents than big-box options so they can provide more individualized and attentive care (the ideal capacity is around six residents). Residential care homes are often operated by medical professionals or healthcare workers who prioritize expert care over maximizing capacity. Their smaller size also allows them to supervise the care their aides provide and ensure a consistent level of quality across all their homes. What’s more, residential care facilitates lower staff-to-resident ratios; unlike large locations where staff members are responsible for tens of residents, residential care aides have adequate time and bandwidth to make sure the needs of each resident in their care are always met.
If you would like to learn about a nurse-owned residential care organization offering intimate assisted living and memory care homes in Michigan, call Heartfelt Residential Care today at (800) 379-3860 or contact us online.
