The goal of assisted living is to assist elderly people living on their own before they require additional care, are no longer able to care for themselves or require a nursing home to meet their health needs. Supportive living helps guide individuals who are temporarily unable to care for themselves for as long as they need help with the goal that they will no longer require assistance with structuring and maintaining their daily lives.
Services
The staff of an assisted living facility help provide for the needs of its residents by performing tasks such as purchasing and preparing food. Programs for supportive living focus on individuals who may need help in managing their day-to-day lives, such as individuals with developmental disabilities, individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and individuals recovering from addictions to alcohol or drugs.
Provisions
Programs for assisted living serve the elderly in providing a facility and environment where an individual can enjoy a sense of security while continuing to live his daily life. A facility for assisted living can be an apartment complex or an individual home. Supportive living facilities can be apartments, group housing or individual homes.
Functions
According to the State of California Department of Developmental Services, programs for supportive living can include assisting individuals with choosing and moving into a new home, selecting roommates, acquiring household furnishings, assistance with activities of daily life, assistance in case of emergency, managing finances and participating in community life. A facility for assisted living can provide administration of medication as well as personal care by trained staff, according to the Connecticut General Assembly. Assisted living is part of a model for long-term care for the elderly, while supportive living aims for temporary care until an individual feels confident and independent enough to no longer require aid.
Features
Some facilities for assisted living provide health care and on-site nurses, according to the Connecticut General Assembly. Supportive living counselors aim to provide only as much help as an individual needs. Services for supportive living focus on empowering the individual with a sense of independence by teaching him how to structure and maintain the activities and necessities of his day-to-day life.
Benefits
Individuals with disabilities may require the support of living with another person in order to carry out the activities of daily life, according to Allen, Shea & Associates. Supportive living can be ideal for people with disabilities if their current circumstances make them unable to live with a relative or a close friend. Assisted living can be beneficial for the elderly if they often require assistance from an on-site nurse or health care professional.
