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How Do Assisted Living Communities Help Seniors Remain Autonomous?

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How Do Assisted Living Communities Help Seniors Remain Autonomous?

MORNINGSTAR SENIOR LIVING | May 15
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Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Rooted Blog, Senior Care, Senior Health, Senior Living |
Discover how today’s assisted living communities are making autonomy and self-determination an integral component of many of the services and amenities they offer.

When it comes to being happy and satisfied, few things in life are as essential as feeling like you are in control of what you do and how you live your life. The technical term for this is autonomy, and while it’s vital for people at every stage of life, this sense of being in control becomes more and more important as people get older and need more help which often involves moving into an assisted living community.

This is why answering the question “How do assisted living communities help seniors remain autonomous” is critical.

The term autonomy comes from a combination of the Latin words for “self” and “law”. It basically means the ability to run or govern your own life. Studies have shown that people who have a strong sense of autonomy experience a higher level of psychological health and social interaction as well as a greater feeling of self-esteem and well-being.

Feeling like you’re in control is good for people in all kinds of ways because it promotes:

  • Self Sufficiency – Autonomy lets you feel separate rather than dependent in a relationship, and content and complete when you are alone.

  • Independence – It gives you the strength to say “no” to things you don’t want to do in the face of pressure from family, friends, or caregivers.

  • Authenticity – Instead of being a people pleaser who does things just to keep the peace or make others happy, a person who has a strong sense of autonomy makes decisions based on their own values, beliefs, and needs.

Having a sense of autonomy has many wonderful life-enhancing benefits. Not having it can cause a wide range of problems, including stress, communication problems, anger, and even guilt.

While the decision to move to an assisted living community is one often made in consultation with loved ones, it should ultimately be your choice. And the very good news is being part of an assisted living community can actually offer you more autonomy and choices than you may have now.

Many communities today understand that giving residents the freedom and ability to decide how they want to live their lives is not only empowering, it's essential to enjoying their lives to the fullest.

That means that rather than setting down a strict set of rules for how, what, and when residents can do things, they offer choices that put them in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about how they want to live.

How do assisted living communities help seniors remain autonomous? Here are just a few of the ways they are making sure residents feel empowered and in control of their lives:

  • Personalized Living Space

Instead of being saddled with drab standard-issue furniture and décor, assisted living communities now encourage seniors to bring their own bed, comfy recliner, and artwork as well as treasured photographs and keepsakes. Some even allow their residents to choose new paint colors to brighten the walls of their living spaces.

  • Menu Choices

Do you love bacon and eggs for breakfast? Do you prefer yogurt and fruit parfaits alongside a healthy salad? What about lobster ravioli with a glass of wine for dinner? Unless you have certain health or dietary restrictions, chances are the choice will be up to you. The same goes for lunch, dinner, and between-meal snacks. Hearty eaters can have a second helping while those who feel best eating less can choose lighter options and portions that aren’t overwhelming. You can pretty much decide what, when, and even where you want to eat. Even taking something back to eat at your place is an option.

  • Easy Access to Friends and Family

Instead of having to wait for special social occasions to get together or worrying about the weather or driving at night to enjoy a visit, you can simply stroll down the hall to spend time with your friends whenever you want. Other friends, children and grandchildren can drop by for a visit. Just let them know when a good time is for you, and they’ll be welcomed to see you.

  • Lots of Fun Activities to Choose From

Whether you’re laid back and enjoy a low-key movie night or are a social butterfly who likes art classes, card games, or exercise classes; assisted living communities offer a wide range of activities, and you can go to as many or as few as you like.

The bottom line is that today’s assisted living communities are making self-determination an integral component of many of the services and amenities they offer. And that’s something you can feel good about.

MorningStar Senior Living —Assisted Living Community


If your loved one lives far from family and friends, it could be time to move into an assisted living community near their adult children where they’ll have the companionship of fellow seniors and a compassionate service team. At MorningStar Senior Living, a 24/7 team is dedicated to offer care and hospitality services that meet each resident’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.



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BRIDGE LOANS

It’s not uncommon for families to be short on funds when transitioning a loved one into a senior community. The ElderLife Bridge Loan allows you to pay for rent and care in the short term while waiting for other funds to come in. Common financial shortfalls include the time that it takes to list and sell a home, or the waiting period before receiving VA Benefits.

The Bridge Loan is designed like a line of credit, bridging the financial shortfall for up to 12 months. The loan is unsecured (no collateral needed) and approved quickly with no penalty for early payoff and affordable interest payments as low as $8 per $1000 borrowed.

To learn more about the ElderLife Bridge Loan, call 877.664.1710 or Click Here.

REVERSE MORTGAGE

When one partner needs assisted living, and the other partner chooses to remain living in a private home, a reverse mortgage may be a good solution to help pay for increased expenses. Without affecting Medicare or Social Security benefits, reverse mortgages allow a homeowner to stay in the home and withdraw from the equity that the couple has built. Mortgage holders get tax-free cash flow as a loan against that equity, a loan that doesn’t need to be repaid until the house is sold or the owner moves out or dies.

Be sure to vet lenders and their terms thoroughly before making any decision. If you would like to be connected to a trusted, licensed reverse mortgage partner, call 877.664.1710.

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE

Long-term care insurance helps pay for senior care and protect personal assets by covering expenses up to the amounts set forth in the policy. LTC insurance pays for a variety of services in senior communities, and can offer care options that may not be covered through the federal subsidies of Medicare and Medicaid (see below section).

LTC policies can be complex and it may be difficult to understand and activate your policy. If you have questions about your Long-term Care policy, call 877.664.1710 to be connected with an expert for a free policy review.

SELLING THE HOME

The equity built up in a private home is typically a retiree’s largest asset, making the proceeds from selling extremely helpful when transitioning to a senior community. However, selling a home in a timely manner can be challenging and time-consuming. This is especially true when adult children are not living near to assist.

Many families find it helpful to work with a Real Estate Professional experienced with all aspects of selling a senior’s home. From packing and cleaning to listing and selling, ElderLife’s agents are ready to assist with the entire process to simplify a senior transition. To be connected with a local agent, call 877.664.1710.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Approach Social Security (SS) benefits tactically. Historically, it was wise to take SS benefits early and invest them. Today, that’s not necessarily so. Maximized benefits may best be found through delayed retirement credits. Depending on your birth year, benefits increase by 3-8% annually. If you wait until age 70 to collect, that monthly check could increase by 25% or more. And a surviving spouse receives the entirety of that benefit upon the worker’s death, making delayed retirement credits even more valuable. Study the new rules to choose your best course.
Click here for original source info.

MEDICARE

Think of Medicare as health insurance for those 65 years and older, regardless of income. While Medicare never pays for assisted living, it is designed to help fund certain postacute expenses in the first 100 days, namely hospitalization and rehab, as long as the person’s health is improving.
Once you’ve plateaued, Medicare stops paying.

Benefits may be available for home health care, but only if certain conditions are met. Medicare Part A covers hospice (palliative care) for the actively dying, regardless of income, including in a senior living community. Click here for original source info.

In contrast, Medicaid is a federal government program that subsidizes the medical expenses (including certain health services and nursing home care) for low income people of all ages. MorningStar does not accept Medicaid. Click here for more information.

LEVERAGE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

Whole life and universal life policies build a reserve of cash through interest-earning excess premiums (known as the policy’s “cash value”). In some situations, life insurance can be a source of ready funds through cash surrender, death benefit loans, accelerating death benefits, life (or viatical) settlements, or even selling the policy on the open market for immediate cash.

Before acting on any of these methods, consult a financial advisor, as there may be tax consequences. Life Care Funding can also help you determine whether a policy can be converted. Click Here

TAX BENEFITS

The IRS allows certain deductions on a federal tax return for the cost of housing and meals of those receiving long-term care in a senior community due to chronic illness or the inability to live alone.

Assisted living residents may qualify for these deductions if a physician certifies that they have been unable to perform at least two activities of daily living (such as eating, bathing or dressing) without assistance for at least 90 days. The same deductions can apply to those who require substantial supervision due to memory impairment.

An adult child paying for a parent’s care may also qualify for the tax deductions, if the child can claim the parent as a dependent. Consult a tax advisor for further information or visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Click Here.

COMPANION LIVING

MorningStar offers Companion Living in all of our communities, where two unrelated people of the same sex share a suite, whether in independent living, assisted living or memory care.

Not only does this living arrangement enhance life by its camaraderie, it also extends savings.

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