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What Do You Need to Know About Assisted Living?

The assisted living is also renowned as the extra-care housing. It is a kind of ‘house with care,’ and it means that you hand on to independence while being assisted with the work, for instance, taking medicines, going to the toilet, dressing, or washing, etc. 

What is assisted living?

The assisted living provides you with more support as compared to sheltered housing. However, it permits you to live independently.

You are living in a flat with the front door; however, the staff is there almost 24 hours a day to offer support and personal care services. They are customized for you and can involve help with taking medicines, going to the toilet, dressing, and washing. Also, the domestic help, for instance, laundry and shopping, and meals, are offered. 

The essential features of assisted living accommodation involve:

  • 24-hour      emergency assistance via an alarm system
  • Help from a      team of support staff or a scheme manager
  • The minimum      age for the residents, particularly 55 or 60
  • Social      activities best for the community
  • The communal      lounge permitting you to socialize and when you feel like it
  • The self-contained      flats allow you for staying independent

How much does assisted living charge?

The price of assisted living differs depending on while you buy or rent the accommodation, where you want to live, the level of care you need, and the scheme you select. As the services provided by the extra-care facilities fluctuate by the needs of the individuals and site, it is not possible to estimate the amount it will cost for a particular person, but the prices can be less as compared to the prices for residential care. 

There are continuing charges for assistance and care offered, along with the regular service charge for covering the upkeep and management of the scheme. If you are going to rent a property, there will be a specific rent to pay, and if you have purchased the property on the leasehold basis, ground rent will be applied. 

Above all, you need to pay energy bills, water rates, and council tax. A few charges of fuel and water can be a part of the service charge if they are specific for the communal regions. It involves fuel bills for heating and lighting the shared lounge or corridors or water to the communal laundry. 

It is essential to be evident about the charges you need to pay, which includes one-off expenses such as the exit or administration fees before committing. You can get assistance with your service charges or rent via Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. 

What should you consider before choosing assisted living housing?

There are some things you must consider before choosing the accommodation of assisted living, not only to make sure it is the best choice for you but to ensure the particular site is according to your needs.

  • Location
  • Personal needs
  • Size
  • Cost

How do you rent assisted living housing?

If you cannot afford to purchase or do not want to buy, renting is the best choice for you. There are several advantages to renting, such as it can be easy to move when there is a change in your needs or your landlord is accountable for specific repairs to your house. 

You should consider renting for the first time according to the price of your current place. If you are thinking in the right direction, ponder carefully about while this money is sufficient to meet the continuous rental rates and other requirements for an extended period. Get a piece of advice about the influence of releasing capital on the entitlement to the local council-funded social care services and the benefits. 

A few local councils do not permit you to join the waiting list of assisted living if you own the property, yet they can make the exception if your home does not need your expectations. If not, you can search out a spot in the facility of assisted living with the help of a private landlord. 

How do you buy assisted living housing?

As compared to the sheltered housing, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects the assisted living housing. It is the same firm who checks the care homes, who offer quality rating through each facility. Go to CQC website where you can see the ratings and reports of inspection to search for the high-quality local developments before you are going to contact them to see if they have any properties in the marketplace.