Living independently is one of those things that many of us take for granted. But for loved ones that may be battling a degenerative disease or that may no longer be able to take care of themselves, assisted living provides a convenient solution to everyday life. Instead of waiting for an accident to happen or some kind of severe episode to take place, it may be time to line up an enhanced level of care for your loved one.

However, before you can place your family member into a home, you’ll need to know the assisted living requirements in Minnesota or your local state. The good news is that millions of elderly already live in assisted living facilities across the country — if your parent needs extra care, the right fit is out there.

What Is Assisted Living?

As a form of long-term care, assisted living is a way for seniors to maintain some of their independence while also receiving the care they need to get through the day. Those that need extra help with medications, cleaning, cooking or any other aspect of life will find support and a path forward at a local assisted living facility. In that sense, assisted living allows your loved one to get the care they need without compromising their autonomy, and that can help maintain a feeling of independence and a more positive outlook on life.

For family members, they can rest assured that their loved one has the resources they need to stay safe and engaged day after day with access to help should it be needed. It’s often a balancing act, and some residents will need more hands-on focus and attention while others may only need specific help at certain times of the day, such as when taking medications.

The Qualifications for Assisted Living

While seniors or their family may opt for an assisted living community for various reasons, the most common have to do with the care plans offered. Some may need help with medications or have observational needs while others may have more advanced assisted living requirements. It’s all fair game at an assisted living facility, though you’ll certainly want to match your loved one’s needs to the facility at hand. If you’re looking for a high degree of socialization and other community-based activities but the facility you’re considering is geared towards something else entirely, you may want to consider another facility.

In fact, one of the most important requirements for assisted living is that the facility provides a personalized approach. Not every resident has the exact same needs, and assisted living facilities that meet the unique needs of each resident will make for a better and more beneficial experience. When family can drop in and say hello instead of helping with tasks, that can also foster better relationships and interactions. And, at the end of the day, your family member will develop a better sense of their self-worth and self-sufficiency, and that can mean a significantly better quality of life.

Assisted Living Requirements

All that said, there are some assisted living admission requirements that will have to be met before your loved one can join a community. First and foremost are the admission forms, which help communicate your family member’s unique needs to the staff and administrators of the facility. Medical histories will also need to be shared, and there will often be some sort of physical assessment that will need to take place prior to admittance.

At the facility itself, a functional assessment will be performed, which is intended to determine your loved one’s care needs, as well as what tasks that they’re able to complete on their own and where they may need additional help. Things like bathing, dressing, eating and mobility will be checked, and that information will ultimately form the basis of their care. 

As for any assisted living age requirements, that’s typically up to the facility itself. Most residents in assisted living facilities will accept anyone over the age of around 60 or 65, though it’s common for most residents to be in their 80s or 90s. According to the American Health Care Association, half of all assisted living residents are 85 or older, while about 30 percent are between the ages of 75 and 85, 10 percent are between 65 to 75, and an additional 10 percent are younger than 65.

As you can see, there’s no real particular cutoff with assisted living requirements, but that’s by design. Assisted living communities have to meet the various needs of all their residents, and that means accepting residents of differing ages and ability levels. Because of this, it may be more difficult to determine when your loved one has crossed over into needing assistance on a day-to-day level, but it also means that they can get precisely the care they need without having to worry about whether they meet certain assisted living requirements.

If you’re ready to explore the assisted living options for your loved one, contact the assisted living experts at The Moments. We’re an award-winning senior living community for the elderly, and our approach is designed to give your loved one precisely what they need on a day-to-day basis. Contact us or schedule a tour to get started.