Skip to content
Stuart_1000x660_3-1

Choosing a senior living community can seem overwhelming. Many people find they not only don’t know where to start, they don’t even know what to ask about where to start.

The best place to start is understanding which Cedarhurst-supported senior living lifestyle you or your loved one needs, whether it’s Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Personal Care. 

Read on to take a closer look at what each lifestyle includes.

Download a PDF version of this guide by filling out this form, or keep scrolling to read.

Cedarhurst-CTA-Wheretostart-Cover-220x280
Carer helping senior with walker in garden-1-1-1

Assisted Living:
Balancing Both Support and Independence

Understanding the delicate balance between the need for support and wanting to stay independent can make assisted living seem complicated. Caring, compassionate experts can guide you and your loved one to always maintain that balance.

Who Needs Assisted Senior Living?

Most people don’t realize that assisted living helps seniors live their best lives. Assisted living residents get the medical and other support they need for daily activities, while also discovering new opportunities every day to have fun, make new friends, and enjoy life. 

For seniors in assisted living apartments, worries and responsibilities are replaced by the joy of looking forward to new experiences.

Assisted senior living is ideal for seniors who:

  • Need help with daily tasks like dressing, eating, bathing, and walking
  • Are still in good health, but are are looking for lower-maintenance living
  • Require assistance and services, whether occasionally, often, or 24/7
  • Really enjoy social activities and want to make new friends

 

Surrounded by Expert Support

As certain daily tasks become more challenging for assisted living residents, they need to be surrounded by expert support and exceptional care—which means the people taking care of them are compassionate, caring assisted living professionals. 

With this exceptional care and assistance, assisted senior living residents can truly enjoy social outings, wellness programs, and visits from family.

 

Provided with the Appropriate Care Level

All people are different, and assisted living caregivers work hard to understand each resident’s unique needs. It starts with conducting a series of assessments, and it involves working with family, physicians, and other medical professionals to fine-tune the exact care level each assisted living resident needs.

Assisted living care levels include:

  • Supportive
    • Provides a minimal level of care designed to ensure regular, healthy habits are maintained, not overlooked
    • Focuses on delivering in-person reminders to complete daily tasks, such as brushing teeth
    • Includes brief, friendly interactions with staff that don’t involve supervision or hands-on assistance
  • Assistive
    • Provides a moderate care level that is more attentive and supervisory
    • Includes in-person reminders, such as those included with supportive care, plus observation from a staff member to ensure daily tasks are completed
    • Allows for respectful, one-on-one assistance to be offered when needed
  • Comprehensive
    • Provides a maximum care level that places the responsibility of daily tasks in the hands of a trained, encouraging staff member
    • Includes any help that is needed to maintain healthy habits from head to toe
    • Ensures highly responsive and sensitive awareness to the importance of independence, with support when a resident has the desire to perform tasks on their own
  • Medication Management
    • Ensures medications are taken as prescribed
    • Allows for varying levels of medication management, depending on the care assessment

 

Where can I find Cedarhurst assisted senior living communities?

Cedarhurst offers compassionate assisted care at communities in six states located in the Midwest and Southeast:

Learn more about what to look for during an assisted living tour here.

Do you have questions about assisted living pricing? Our Insider's Guide to Understanding Assisted Living Pricing can help.

Learn More About Assisted Living

Female home carer supporting old woman to stand up from the armchair at care home-1272459744-1

Memory Care Assisted Living:
Essential Resources to Treat Memory Loss

Memory care assisted living communities take care of each resident’s needs while providing important resources to treat memory loss. Each memory care resident gets inclusive, custom-tailored programming, including physician and nurse practitioner visits every week. These visits allow the medical providers and staff to get to know each resident personally.

Who Needs Memory Care Assisted Living? 

With memory care assisted living, the question is more about when someone needs memory care. It’s often difficult for families to know the right time. Memory care should be considered when it’s no longer safe for your loved one to live at home due to Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Circumstances that may indicate a need for memory care might include:

  • Changes in behavior and mood swings
  • Confusion and disorientation that may compromise physical safety
  • Declines in physical health
  • Incontinence

 

What’s the Difference Between Memory Care and Assisted Living?

Memory care is similar to assisted living, but it provides special assistance for individuals suffering from progressive cognitive impairment. These communities are staffed by experts specifically trained in caring for individuals in varying stages of dementia.

Additionally, memory care assisted living communities include extra security measures compared to standard assisted living communities, to prevent residents from wandering. To ensure resident safety, memory care apartments do not offer a kitchen or kitchenette that may be commonly found in assisted living apartments, so there are no burners or ovens to accidentally leave on.

 

Enriching, Person-Directed Memory Care

The best way to deliver memory care is through person-directed care. This means that experts ensure the resident’s preferences, routines and—most importantly— choices are respected. Caring and compassionate staff, first-rate amenities, a beautiful environment, and a welcoming, supportive atmosphere help make memory care more enriching.

 

Where can I find Cedarhurst memory care assisted living communities?

Our staff is specially trained by a Certified Dementia Practitioner and takes continuing education modules focused on dementia.

Memory care assisted living services are offered at most Cedarhurst locations in:

(Apartment options include private and companion suites, as well as private suites with shared bathrooms).

Do you have questions about memory care pricing? Our Insider's Guide to Understanding Memory Care Pricing can help.

Learn More About Memory Care

Residents reading and playing pool

Independent Senior Living:
Fill Each Day With The Things You Love

Want to leave behind the complications and difficulties of homeownership? Independent Senior Living residents lose the stress and keep their own vibrant, active lifestyles.

Who Needs Independent Senior Living?

Independent living apartments are perfect for seniors who don’t require active levels of assistance. Many of our residents come to us because they are tired of maintaining a large home and want to live life with fewer complications.

Independent living provides grounds maintenance, housekeeping services, and more, giving residents the opportunity to maintain their independence and do what they love, while removing the burden of residential upkeep and chores. 

This lifestyle option is great for seniors who:

  • Are still responsible for their daily activities, including managing medications
  • Have—and enjoy—a busy social schedule 
  • Love social activities and learning new things
  • Enjoy new friends and the company of other seniors
  • Want to give up everyday chores they don’t like to have more time for hobbies and activities they love

 

Much More Than a Beautiful Apartment

A beautiful independent senior living apartment is a must—but independent residents need so much more. Independent living residents want to keep living life their way, enjoying a lifestyle that includes a wide range of amenities, delicious meals, and ample opportunity for personal growth, all with the resident’s personal preferences in mind.

 

Maintenance Is Included—and Convenient with Independent Living

Independent living frees residents from household chores and maintenance, giving them more time to do what makes them happy. This means someone else takes care of:

  • Bed linen service
  • Plumbing and other facilities management

Residents who love to garden can garden and not worry about things like yard work, gutter cleaning, and snow removal. In other words, residents have fun while we take care of the maintenance.

 

What About Pets at Senior Living Communities?

Pets are family! That’s why most Cedarhurst communities let residents bring their small to medium pets, and even offer outdoor space for walks.

 

Independent Senior Living Amenities

  • Delicious dining 

    • Forget cafeteria food—independent living communities have multiple dining options, so residents can enjoy a variety of dishes. 
    • Our kitchens specifically prepare and create exclusive delicious menus for residents overseen by our Regional Dining Directors, all of which are experienced chefs.
    • Residents love our celebrations, like theme parties, happy hours, and holidays. 
  • Fun activities for the body and mind

    • Swimming and exercise classes
    • Mental calisthenics
    • Fascinating films and lectures
    • Frequent social outings
    • Indoor and outdoor recreation

 

Where can I find Cedarhurst independent senior living communities?

Cedarhurst offers Independent Living at these locations:

Learn More About Independent Living

Resident in physical therapy-1

Personal Care:
For When Daily Tasks Become More Challenging

Personal care residents get extra expert support around aspects of their daily life that have become more difficult. This exceptional care and assistance helps residents enjoy activities like social outings, wellness programs, and visits from family and friends.

Who Needs Personal Care?

Personal care allows seniors to live more independent lives by helping them with medical and other support they need for daily activities. Residents who receive personal care can choose their own beautiful apartment.

Personal care is great for seniors who:

  • Require tailored, expert individual care
  • Need extensive safeguards, including 24/7 emergency assistance
  • Love social outings, wellness programs, and visits from family
  • Enjoy warm friendships with caregivers and making new friends

 

What’s the Difference Between Personal Care and Assisted Living?

What personal care offers differs by state, but generally, it includes housing, meals, and assistance with personal care tasks such as medication management. Assisted living provides these as well, but offers additional skilled care services, which may vary depending on each state’s laws. Be sure to check to see how your state treats both personal care and assisted living.

 

Where can I find Cedarhurst personal care communities?

Cedarhurst offers Personal Care at these locations:

Download & share a PDF version of this guide by filling out this form:

Cedarhurst-CTA-Wheretostart-Cover-220x280