Understanding Your Senior Living Options
Have questions about what senior living option is best for you? Start by exploring this complete breakdown to begin your search with confidence.
Download this guide or share it with a family member as you begin your search.
1. Start your senior living search here.
Choosing a senior living community is an exciting new chapter, but you might be wondering where to start or what questions to ask—and that’s completely normal.
Whether you’re looking for the freedom of independent living, a helping hand in assisted living, or the specialized support of memory care, you can find the option designed just for you.
Let’s explore your options and help you find a place that feels like home.
2. What is independent living?
When you live alone, it’s easy to feel lonely sometimes. Independent senior living, however, offers a powerful antidote to social isolation. It provides a built-in community with endless opportunities to connect with friendly neighbors, build new relationships, and share in a life filled with purpose and joy.
Who needs independent senior living?
Independent living is perfect for older adults who are looking for a more active social life. Many residents choose this option because they want to connect with friendly neighbors and have a built-in community.
Independent living provides a full calendar of social events and activities, helping you make meaningful connections, pursue personal wellness goals, and live a life filled with new friendships and shared experiences.
This option is great for older adults who:
- Handle all of their own activities of daily living, including managing medications
- Benefit from social connections, including participating in social events, making friends, and learning new things
- Want peace of mind and safety in an environment designed for older adults with team members on-site if help is needed
- Enjoy convenient access to services and amenities such as dining venues, fitness classes and resources, transportation, and housekeeping
- Want low-maintenance living, trading chores they don't like, such as snow shoveling and home repairs, for hobbies and activities they love
It's much more than a beautiful residence.
Independent senior living apartments and cottages are just the beginning. The best communities empower you to live life on your own terms. Enjoy a full calendar of activities, delicious meals, and ample opportunities for personal growth—all designed to help you build meaningful connections with people who share your interests.
What about pets at senior living communities?
Pets are family! That’s why many communities let residents bring their furry friends and even offer outdoor space for walks.
Enjoy these independent senior living amenities.
- Delicious Dining
- Forget cafeteria food—independent living communities have multiple dining options, so residents can enjoy a variety of dishes.
- Kitchens specifically prepare and create exclusive, delicious menus for residents.
- Residents enjoy celebrations, such as theme parties, happy hours, and holidays.
- Fun Activities for the Body and Mind
- Exercise classes
- Mental calisthenics
- Fascinating films and lectures
- Frequent social outings
- Indoor and outdoor recreation
Independent senior living communities are beautifully designed to give you the freedom and social connections you desire.
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3. What is assisted living?
Assisted living provides all the benefits of independent living, including social events and chef-prepared meals, with the added confidence of 24/7 care from a compassionate team. You'll have the support you need, whenever you need it, all while living life on your own terms.
How does assisted living support activities of daily living (ADLs)?
Assisted living also supports activities of daily living (ADLs), the basic self-care tasks that are fundamental to maintaining independence. In an assisted living community, residents receive personalized support with these daily tasks, which helps them maintain their freedom and dignity.
Who needs assisted senior living?
Assisted living helps seniors live their best lives. Assisted living residents get the 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, such as dressing, eating, bathing, and walking
- Are still in good health but are looking for lower-maintenance living
- Require assistance and services, whether occasionally or often
- Really enjoy social activities and want to make new friends
Feel surrounded by expert support.
As certain daily tasks become more challenging for assisted living residents, they benefit from being 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.
Be 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 care 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 learn more about Cedarhurst assisted senior living communities?
Cedarhurst offers compassionate assisted care at communities across the Midwest and Southeast.
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4. What is memory care?
Memory care communities take care of each resident’s needs while providing important resources to treat memory loss. Each memory care resident gets inclusive, custom-tailored service, including physician and nurse practitioner visits every week. These visits allow the care providers and staff to get to know each resident personally.
Who needs memory care?
With memory care, 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 someone 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 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.
Experience 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 learn more about Cedarhurst memory care communities?
Our staff members are specially trained by a Certified Dementia Practitioner and are encouraged to take continuing education modules focused on dementia.
Apartment options include private and companion suites, as well as private suites with shared bathrooms.
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5. Frequently Asked Questions
Think of it as a spectrum of support, where the main difference is the "level of care" provided.
- Independent living is focused on an active, social lifestyle without the hassles of home maintenance.
- Assisted living includes all the social benefits of independent living but adds personalized help with activities of daily living, such as dressing or medication management.
- Memory care is a specialized form of assisted living that provides a secure, structured environment with specially trained staff for individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Choosing the best fit is a personal decision based on specific needs. Our quick care assessment is the perfect first step to help you understand which option is right for you.
The need for assisted living often becomes clear when you or a family member starts to need a helping hand with activities of daily living. If managing medications, bathing, dressing, or getting around has become a challenge, assisted living provides the exact support needed to maintain independence and safety.
Absolutely! Assisted living is designed to support your independence, not take it away. You'll enjoy all the same social benefits as independent living—including a full calendar of events, chef-prepared meals, and new friendships—with the added peace of mind that compassionate care is available whenever you need it.
While both offer support with daily tasks, memory care is uniquely designed for the safety and well-being of those with cognitive decline. The key differences are the specially trained staff, who are experts in dementia care, and the secure environment, which has extra safety measures to prevent wandering and ensure residents are safe.
That’s a common concern, and it’s a key benefit of choosing a Cedarhurst community. Our communities are designed to be a long-term home. If a resident in independent living begins to need a helping hand, they can seamlessly transition to assisted living right on the same campus, staying in a familiar environment with the friends and staff they already know. It’s all about providing the comfort of knowing you won’t have to face another disruptive move, even if your needs change down the road.
Yes, this is a common situation, and we work with couples to find the best solution to keep them together. Often, a couple can live in the same assisted living apartment, where one spouse receives more care than the other.
In cases where one spouse needs the specialized environment of memory care, they can live in that neighborhood while their partner resides in assisted or independent living on the same campus, making daily visits simple and convenient.
A great next step is to take our quick care assessment. This will give you a more personalized recommendation based on your specific needs. After that, the best way to get a true feel for a community is to find one near you and schedule a personal visit.
6. Next Step: Take the Assessment
Ready to take the next step and figure out which care option is the best fit? Our quick care assessment helps you understand the type of support that best fits your needs. It’s simple, personalized, and a great first step toward peace of mind.
Start your assessment today and see what feels right for you.
Find the Right Level of Care
Understand your care needs by learning about ADLs and IADLs to discover the support that's right for you.
Start Assessment
Understanding the Cost of Senior Living
Concerned about costs? Compare senior living with home expenses using our Senior Living Cost Calculator.
Calculate the Costs
Signs It's Time for Senior Living
This resource helps you identify the key indicators that a move to senior living may be the right choice. It provides clear signs to look for, helping you to move forward with confidence.
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What to Look for in a Senior Living Community
Don't start your search without a plan. This guide provides a comprehensive checklist of top tips and essential questions to help you find the best community for you.
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