Senior citizens living in West New York, New Jersey, who require assistance with day-to-day living have several options available to them. Whether they need short-term recovery care or long-term assistance, assisted living services provide a wide range of options in a community setting that will allow the senior citizen the level of comfort and treatment necessary to continue living an active life.
Why Assisted Living?
When senior citizens find themselves having difficulty completing day-to-day activities, such as bathing, cooking and cleaning, they require help with these tasks. Assisted living homes can provide such help along with a wide range of other services, while still allowing the senior to maintain his or her independence. The needs of the senior citizen have to be carefully considered when determining the type of assisted living required. Assisted living communities offer special services for residents with a range of infirmaries, from mobility problems to Alzheimer's, and including terminal illnesses. However, if the senior citizen is in need of more personal and intensive medical treatment, it may become necessary to utilize a long-term care facility or nursing home.
Stay Options
Long-term assisted living is designed for senior citizens who are no longer able to manage all the demands of daily life. A variety of activities are available to long-term assisted living residents, including crafts, music, nature walks and community gatherings.
Respite, or short-term care, is designed for senior citizens who have recently undergone surgery or who are recovering from illness. This type of care is a short-term stay option that allows the senior citizen the time, attention and assistance needed to complete recovery and return home.
Hospice care is designed for terminally ill patients not expected to live past six months. Hospice care is designed to provide the senior citizen with the medical and physiological support needed to make the individual's final days as comfortable as possible.
Facilities and Amenities in West New York
Approximately 15 assisted living centers are found in West New York, and another 200 within 20 miles, each offering a variety of amenities, including studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens, exercise and recreation rooms, luxury gathering rooms, swimming pools, nature trails, water features, on-site restaurants and shuttle services.
Cost of Assisted Living
The average cost of assisted living in West New York is $3,400, but some facilities can run as low as $900 a month to as high as $5,300 a month. If the senior citizen is age 65 or older and qualifies for Social Security income or has a total monthly income of not more than $1,869, he or she may qualify for Medicaid, in which case, the cost is reduced to room and board and, in certain circumstances, a cost share of services.
Regulation and Oversight
Regulation and Oversight of assisted living centers in West New York is handled by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. As outlined in the "Policy Manual for Long Term Care Services," facilities must provide each individual with his or her own full bathroom and 150 square feet of living space. A facility must meet the needs of all its residents 24 hours a day, including meals, social activity, nursing and pharmaceutical care and personal and supportive health services. A senior citizen may not be allowed to remain at an assisted living facility if he or she needs long-term care, is bedridden for a period extending beyond two weeks, requires more than two individuals to assist in moving about or is a danger to themselves or others. Additionally, all medication is to be administered by a Department of Health and Senior Services trained health care worker, under the supervision of a registered nurse. Injections at assisted living communities are limited to insulin only.
