While we wish it were not the case, a number of common myths have sprung up regarding assisted living communities for senior care in the last few decades. And especially when these pieces of misinformation risk the proper care of any senior, whether in our assisted living community or anywhere else, they bother us — enough that we’re here to set the record straight.

At Cozy Retire, we’re thrilled to provide a caring Ogden assisted living community that serves the needs of numerous different seniors in ways unique to them. In addition, we regularly provide seniors, caregivers and other important family members with vital information that you might need to make the proper decision about a senior’s needs — and we help you steer clear of harmful myths that may have crept into your thinking. This two-part blog series will go over some of the most common such misconceptions, plus provide you with the proper information on each.

Myth #1: Assisted Living is Only for Wealthy People

Not only is this a seriously incorrect myth, it’s almost the full opposite of the truth. In reality, quality assisted living programs actually serve as value-adding supplements to social security. This is because they let seniors in need maximize their personal incomes by allowing them to live longer with less money than they’d otherwise need.

Many seniors examined this option when they were younger and found that, when they retired at age 65, it would allow them to stretch their savings out over an extra five years — something that would have required them to spend more money if they tried living on their own. And this would have been especially true in the past, when most assisted living communities didn’t provide nearly as many services for seniors as they do now.

Myth #2: Assisted Living Communities And Nursing Homes Are Identical

While assisted living communities and nursing homes may have certain broad similarities, the idea that they’re the same is heavily misplaced. These are two completely different setups with wholly unique needs that seniors have. And it’s important to understand the difference — both for choosing your parent’s best living arrangement, as well as knowing whether they are healthy enough to refuse one or need an assisted living community in the first place.

The basic way to distinguish between these two is by examining their definition of “assisted.” Nursing homes provide almost total assistance with anything and everything, while assisted living communities only provide private or shared apartments for seniors to live in. And when it comes time to receive medical treatment, residents of an assisted living community can generally seek help elsewhere (with the same relative ease).

Myth #3: Assisted Living Sacrifices Your Independence and Privacy

Again, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, assisted living communities encourage independence and privacy while maximizing on comfort and safety — especially for seniors who wouldn’t be able to keep such a lifestyle up on their own (or even with help from friends or family members).

Seniors can still have total freedom over what they do at home without being subjected to the limits of a nursing home. And if they’re able to take care of themselves for the most part, assisted living communities can provide a variety of amenities, community events and no-cost services that make independent living less strenuous.

For more on debunking common myths surrounding assisted living care for seniors, or to learn about any of our senior living services in Ogden, speak to the staff at Cozy Retire today.