Clearly Defining the Main Program Options in Eldercare Facilities

If you’re new to the world of assisted living, rehabilitation, Somerset County nursing homes, and long or short-term care facilities, navigating your way around the different types of care can be daunting. What’s the best program for your loved one and what level or type of care do they really need? To get you started with some clarity, here is a list of the different program types out there, and what these programs do:

Respite Care:
Dictionary definition: “temporary institutional care of a sick, elderly, or disabled person, providing relief for their usual caregiver.”
Respite care is great for necessary breaks for the caregiver at home to take good care of themselves. Caregivers at home must keep their own mental, physical, and spiritual health in top shape in order to be the best they can be for their loved-one that needs care. Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs there is, so finding a great, trustworthy program and facility that will provide respite care could be “just what the doctor ordered” for the weary caregiver.
Quality respite programs offer licensed nursing services at all times, onsite rehabilitation services, and assistance with activities of daily living as needed.

Long Term Care 
Definition from Wikipedia: “a variety of services which help meet the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods…Long term care can be provided in home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes.”
According to an article on health.usnews.com there are four signs that someone might need to go into long term care: 1) They can’t get organized 2) They’re letting hygiene slip 3) They’re declining physically 4) You don’t have the bandwidth.
Long term care as well as assisted living programs normally include specialized care like: cardiac rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, various therapy programs including physical, occupational, and speech, orthopedic recovery and more.
Long term care programs generally have skilled nurses on site 24/7 and are often covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Skilled Nursing Care (often used synonymously with Long Term Care)
Definition from verywellhealth.com: “Skilled nursing is a term that refers to a patient’s need for care or treatment that can only be done by licensed nurses.” 

Assisted Living
​Dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster: “a system of housing and limited care that is designed for senior citizens who need some assistance with daily activities but do not require care in a nursing home”
Something to know is that assisted living is often not covered by Medicare or Medicaid and is usually paid for out of pocket in all or part. 
To determine if someone belongs in assisted living vs. long term care, there is a chart that was developed by Dr Sidney Katz in the 1960’s. It measures how well the person can do activities of daily living or ADL’s for short. There are 6 basic ADL’s: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding. How many of these functions a person can perform independently can determine the level of care in a facility that’s required.

Independent Living
Definition from Independent Living Institute: “Independent living means the ability to examine alternatives and make informed decisions and direct one’s own life. This ability requires the availability of information, financial resources and peer group support systems. Independent living is a dynamic process. It can never be stagnant.”
Some facilities offer separate independent living communities and/or spaces, but more often seniors who are active and able, will choose to live in 55+ developments of small homes, townhomes or apartments. These communities have activities, amenities and services available as needed or wanted. 

Please call us or take a tour to find out about assisted living facilities in New Jersey. 

Bridgeway Care and Rehabilitation
​395 Amwell Rd. 
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
www.bshcare.com
(908) 281-4400