Independent Living or Assisted Living: Which One is Right for You?
When you finally make the decision that your aging parent may need to relocate and move out of their home into a senior community in the St. Louis Metro East Area… that’s when the decision-making ACTUALLY begins!
There are so many things to consider such as location, safety, and the community.
First thing’s first, let’s explain the differences between Assisted Living and Independent Living in the St. Louis Metro East Area, to help make the decision a bit easier for you and your family.
St. Louis & Metro East Assisted Living
Assisted living is ideal for seniors who may need a bit higher level of care with their daily tasks. If they need someone to constantly help them use the bathroom, assist them with bathing, and help them eat their meals properly, assisted living may be the best option for you.
Assisted Living commonly has medical staff on hand and is very involved in the lives of their residents. They may check on them multiple times per day to distribute medication, check blood pressure, or to perform a simple wellness check. There is typically a Nurse that is on staff 24/7.
Oftentimes, a doctor has concerns about aging parents living at home alone because of their health declining. They may recommend an assisted living facility as the best care option for them to reduce the risk involved with falls, to combat mental wellness challenges, and to ensure care for any health risks. Assisted Living Facilities in St. Louis aim to help their residents thrive comfortably with all the support services they require. Assisted Living is normally funded by private pay and the prices can vary per facility.
St. Louis & Metro East Independent Living
Independent Living communities provide seniors their own living space with the freedom to choose a day full of spirited events or one that is absolute solitude to finish their favorite novel. It’s meant for those who can care for themselves but may want to downsize or just prefer NOT to be alone in their family home. These folks are sometimes still driving and just require minimum-medium level care.
However, at Villa Rose Independent Senior Living Community in Bethalto, IL (just 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis) your aging parent will never be left without the care they need… just when they need it. Visiting Angels is a company that provides Home Care Health Services to the residents when they need it – but doesn’t invade on their privacy when they don’t. They have an office in Villa Rose and staff aides in our building 24/7. The aides can help with bathing, medication reminders, escorts, and much more. The aides will perform a daily checkup to ensure the safety of the resident.
Commonly, in Independent Living Communities, seniors take care of some of their own tasks, such as laundry, but the bulk of the duties that require equipment or pose any safety risk are provided by the Community Staff. Additional services like weekly housekeeping, meals, and transportation are included in the monthly apartment or suite rental fee.
3 restaurant style meals are included every day in you rent at Villa Rose Senior Living Community. What makes Independent Living so unique is the activities and social aspects of the community. Independent living communities are also usually private pay.
You might be thinking: “Without having to do all these tasks...wont my aging parent be completely bored all day?”
Independent Senior Living is Fun
Retirement happens after you’ve worked for many years. It’s time to enjoy life and Independent Living facilities like Villa Rose Senior Living Community, where their staff host a variety of activities every single day for their residents. Many assisted living facilities offer activities too but usually it is much harder to get residents to participate in them because of specific health issues. Therefore, many seniors who are just looking for a break from every day chores turn to independent living facilities so they can enjoy the social aspects of their retirement.
Entertainment and enrichment activities help seniors to combat any doubts of depression that often coincide with living alone. Read on to learn more about the 10 topmost fun activities for seniors at Villa Rose Senior Living Community.
10 Fun Activities for Seniors at Villa Rose Senior Living Community
Bingo
What is a Senior Living Facility without a hot game of Bingo? Enough said. At Villa Rose, Bingo is basically religious around the community. What makes Bingo so competitive at Villa Rose is the fact that all the residents are playing for quarters! It is a great way to kill sometime and make some new friends.
2. Puzzles
With a variety of captivating puzzle images, Seniors adore some quiet down time between all the high-energy activities to just sit and find the exact place for that odd-shaped puzzle piece. When the final piece is dropped into its perfect place, the feeling of achievement is illuminating.
3. Card and Board Games
Whether Rummy, Bridge, Go Fish, or Poker, Senior’s love getting together with other residents for a friendly (and possibly competitive) game of cards. Using their analytical and problem-solving skills, seniors enjoy the challenge and the high spirits that coincide with a gathering among friends.
4. Social Events
At Villa Rose, we host a variety of social events such as ice cream social, wine & cheese tastings, exercise classes, and much more. Gathering around the fireplace on a cool evening and reminiscing about when their children were small, all while sipping coffee or just relaxing is a very popular activity for seniors.
5. Live Music
Who doesn’t love live music? At Villa Rose we outsource entertainment for our residents. We bring entertainers such as pianists, harpist, musicians, and small bands! We know how much live music means to our residents. This is why we provide entertainment on a weekly basis.
6. Scheduled Outings
Sometimes, you just must change your environment to change your mood and mindset. With Seniors spending every day either in their apartments or in the common areas, it’s important that they also take time off campus to enjoy the world. Planned outings can achieve just that. At Villa Rose, we take our residents to grocery stores, restaurants, doctors’ appointments, and even sometimes just a trip to the park.
7. Happy Hours
Umm… yes, please! Just because they’re seniors, doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy a spirited beverage on occasion. On the last Wednesday of every month, Villa Rose treats the community with live music, and a variety of drinks and an assortment of snacks.
8. Movie Nights
After a long day of fun-filled activities, seniors often love to wind down with a great drama, documentary, or comedy. At Villa Rose, we have our very own movie theater with movie-style seating. You will never have to watch a movie alone again!
9. Garden Plots
Leaving your home (and yard) behind can leave those seniors with a green thumb wondering how to itch the gardening scratch. Villa Rose Independent Senior Living Community encourages its residents to sign up every spring to participate in planting flowers and greenery in our flower beds. Here, at Villa Rose near Edwardsville, we use raised flower beds to ensure the seniors have an easy time reaching and avoiding potential falls. We love tomatoes and cucumbers around here.
10. Cooking and Crafting
Designing, painting, and baking… OH MY! No matter your senior’s hobbies or interests, there is always a crafting activity available to cure that need to create. Dying Easter Eggs, painting a beautiful landscape, or decorating sugar cookies for the holidays are just some ideas to keep your aging parents’ imagination soaring and engaged.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it is hard to leave your home because of old age. It’s hard enough to make your family decision of where mom or dad will spend their time after retirement. Also consider the number and level of engagement and enhancement activities to ensure, not only their health, but also their happiness. You should definitely consider checking out both assisted living and independent living facilities before you decide what is right for you or a loved one.
If you wish to schedule a tour with Villa Rose Senior Living, just click HERE to schedule fill out our online application to schedule a tour.
Written By Garrett Hanes; Marketing Director at Villa Rose
