Author: Sarah Williams
Reviewed By: Brindusa Vanta
Each facility’s admissions criteria vary, so there’s no set list of health conditions that will disqualify you for assisted living. However, assisted living facilities support seniors with day-to-day activities and personal hygiene rather than providing medical care, total support or around-the-clock monitoring. Facilities assess each prospective resident before admission, considering their medical history, overall health and care requirements. Individuals who need greater care than assisted living communities offer should generally consider other solutions, such as nursing homes, home health care with visiting nurses or other health care providers or memory care.
Furthermore, seniors with certain communicable diseases may be temporarily disqualified from assisted living until they aren’t infectious. On the other hand, some facilities may admit such individuals under isolation conditions to protect other residents and staff.
Assisted living facilities have specific admission criteria, and some may have limitations on accepting seniors with severe mental health issues, particularly if those conditions result in challenging behaviors or safety risks. Often, assisted living staff aren’t trained to work in these situations, and facilities may not be licensed or insured to offer such care.
It isn’t usually an appropriate setting for seniors with severe cognitive impairment, such as those with advanced Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. However, some assisted living communities have specialized memory care neighborhoods staffed by trained caregivers.
Assisted living may be suitable for seniors with medical issues when the individual — not staff — manages their condition. Depending on state regulations and licenses, some communities can offer medication management services, although seniors must often self-administer drugs. Many facilities have on-call or on-site nurses, and communities usually provide medical transportation.Nursing homes are often more appropriate for seniors who require skilled nursing services or rehabilitation therapies or who have unstable conditions. Similarly, individuals who need end-of-life support are generally better suited for hospice care, although various settings — including assisted living — may offer in-house or third-party hospice services.
